COVID-19 and Diabetes: will Novel Drugs for Diabetes Help in COVID-19?

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has afflicted more than 245.37 million individuals worldwide and resulted in more than 4.9 million deaths as of today, with a mortality rate of 2.1%. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its secondary complications are the major serious global health concerns today due to its growth rate, and it is the fastest-growing non-communicable disease. According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) data, one out of 11 adults is diabetic, and the projection says that the figure will reach 642 million by 2040 globally. The occurrence of DM and its secondary complications is also associated with the severity of COVID-19 and high mortality. People with DM have a weakened immune system owing to innate immunity defects affecting phagocytosis, neutrophil chemotaxis, and cell-mediated immunity; however, the high prevalence of diabetes in serious cases of COVID-19 may reflect the higher prevalence of type 2 DM (T2DM) in older people. Moreover, DM is linked to cardiovascular illness in older people, which could underlie the correlation between COVID-19 and fatal outcomes. SARS-CoV-2 infects via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is found in pancreatic islets, and infection with SARS-CoV-1 has been linked to hyperglycemia in individuals who do not have DM. And hence diabetic patients need to take more precautions and maintain their blood glucose levels. Many pieces of research say that COVID-19 and DM, especially its secondary complications are interlinked. But it also needs more elaborative evidence on whether the anti-diabetic drugs can manage only blood glucose or SARS-CoV-2.

Automated summary

COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has infected over 245.37 million people and caused over 4.9 million deaths globally. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications are major health concerns with a high growth rate, affecting one in 11 adults and projected to reach 642 million cases by 2040. DM and its complications are associated with the severity and mortality of COVID-19, and the infection may worsen existing cardiovascular conditions in older individuals.