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What does it feel like to be ill with COVID-19 as a person with diabetes? Much of the novel virus COVID-19 is still a mystery that we learn more about every day.
Through the stories of those who have contracted COVID-19, we know that the impacts vary. Symptoms can appear mild with a slight fever and some coughing, like Andrew O’Dwyer from the UK experienced.
While for others symptoms can be more severe, like how a secondary-school teacher living with diabetes had. She had a much longer list of symptoms including difficulty breathing, dizziness, dehydration, and vomiting.
Though even with her more severe symptoms, she struggled with whether she should go to the hospital or not.
“I’m unsure whether to go to the hospital. I feel as though I’ll be wasting valuable resources and I may be an infection risk to vulnerable patients.
As many medical systems are overwhelmed and resources continue to be limited, it’s important to think of ways to reduce the risk of transmission so individuals can get the care they need. Because despite this wide range of impact, COVID-19 continues to emerge with very severe complications for people with or without diabetes.
For people with diabetes who are treating COVID-19, glucose control is key! Keeping BG levels as close to the target range as possible can help reduce the inflammatory response, caused by hyperglycemia. Following the basic guidelines of sick day management will assist the type 1 person who might be diagnosed with COVID-19.
To minimize the risk of transmission, hospitals are starting to use CGM’s for glucose checks in ICUs and in COVID-19 units.
“We knew we needed to get creative” states Carol Levy, MD, Clinical Director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes Center, while discussing “a new initiative to utilize CGM for critically ill patients with COVID-19 to reduce patient-provider contact, conserve PPE, and reduce risks for virus transmission.”
For more information, please see our Emergency Preparedness Blog Post.
There is an incredible amount of information regarding COVID-19 and diabetes. These articles show a glimmer of hope for all people with diabetes that might develop COVID-19.
Written by Catherine Cullinane RN, CDCES, our resident Tech Thursday Content Writer
To read more Mount Sinai’s efforts click here. Click here for For Arthur’s full story, or for the secondary school’s story click here.
*From ADA Treatment & Care Fact Sheet, “People with diabetes are not more likely to get COVID-19 than the general population. The problem people with diabetes face is primarily a problem of worse outcomes, not a greater chance of contracting the virus. In China, where most cases have occurred so far, people with diabetes had much higher rates of serious complications than people without diabetes.” To help friends and family keep safe, here is an excellent handout on Keeping Safe and Home and in the Workplace by the World Health Organization.
SL is 17 years old, with type 1 diabetes. SL uses an insulin pump and checks glucose levels before meals and at bedtime. SL started track team at high school a week ago and noticed that they are waking up with vivid dreams and morning blood glucose levels are higher than usual.
Which of the following is the best recommendation?
Click here to test your knowledge!
As health care professionals and Diabetes Specialists, how do we prepare people with diabetes for the possibility of a COVID-19 infection and hospitalization?
What are the best practices to care for people with diabetes and COVID-19 in the outpatient and hospital setting?
Topics:
Instructor: Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, has been Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management for over 20 years. She is an Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF, a working educator and a nationally recognized diabetes expert.
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As health care professionals and Diabetes Specialists, how do we prepare people with diabetes for the possibility of a COVID-19 infection and hospitalization?
What are best practices to care for people with diabetes and COVID-19 in the outpatient and hospital setting?
Updates:
The Telehealth guidelines for providing DSMT have been updated since the streaming of this webinar. Please see this blog, Telehealth and DSMT | Latest Updates from CMS, for updated information.
Coach Beverly Thomassian, RN, MPH, CDCES, BC-ADM, has summarized key information including critical teaching points and management strategies for people with diabetes who develop a COVID-19 infection.
In addition to the webinar, we will provide attendees with useful resources to provide care and education to colleagues and community members alike.
Topics:
Updates:
The Telehealth guidelines for providing DSMT have been updated since the streaming of this webinar. Please see this blog, Telehealth and DSMT | Latest Updates from CMS, for updated information.
Instructor: Beverly Thomassian RN, MPH, CDCES, has been Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management for over 20 years. She is an Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF, a working educator and a nationally recognized diabetes expert.
See a complete listing of our upcoming FREE Webinars
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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Medtronic announces the launch of their Next-Gen Bluetooth automated insulin delivery (AID) and CGM systems!
At last year’s Advanced Technologies and Treatment for Diabetes (ATTD) Conference in Berlin, Germany, Medtronic announced that they will be launching their Next-Gen of AID and CGM systems while sharing the results of a recent study they conducted on children who use their 670G AID system.
The study conducted evaluated the efficiency of the 670G AID (automated insulin delivery) system in children from 2-6 years old. The results were positive. After 3 months, the participants:
Next-Gen AIDs & CGMs
In addition to this great news for younger kids and their families, Medtronic shared several products that they plan to launch over the next several years, phased into “1 year” and “2+ year” timelines.
These products hope to offer a wide range of new features, including:
This is such positive information in the on-going advances of CGM and automated insulin delivery systems for children and adults with type 1 diabetes.
Click here for in-depth details of these advances.
Written by Catherine Cullinane RN, CDCES, our resident Tech Thursday Content Writer
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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You are working with KS, a 57-year-old with type 2 diabetes and an A1c of 6.8%, who wants to join the water aerobics program at their local YMCA. KS has a history of hypothyroidism and has an LDL cholesterol of 98 mg/dl. KS’s medications include levothyroxine and metformin XR 1000 mg BID.
According to the ADA and the American College of Sports Medicine, what would be the best recommendation?
Click here to test your knowledge!
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the CDC recommends everyone wears a cloth face-mask when in public.
In addition to washing our hands frequently and maintaining a 6ft. distance from others, cloth masks can help in situations where social distancing is more difficult, such as the grocery store.
Cloth face-masks can easily be made at home with a scarf, bandana, hand towel, or t-shirt, just be sure to wash them frequently. Here are a few tips for making your mask:
Click here to read more.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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Click here to read our entire April Newsletter
At a local hospital, a person in their mid-40s, with type 2 diabetes was admitted for treatment of COVID-19 and Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA). An insulin drip was started and their SGLT-2 Inhibitor was stopped. Why are people with type 2 and COVID-19 going into DKA and how is this impacting outcomes?
A person with type 1 diabetes calls into a rural health clinic and says they are running a temperature, having difficulty breathing and can’t get their blood sugars below 300. The diabetes specialist instructs them to go to the hospital. What supplies should they take in case they are admitted to the hospital?
How do we help prepare people with diabetes for the possibility of hospitalization and what are best practices to care for people with diabetes and COVID-19 in the hospital setting?
What instruction do we provide for people with diabetes if they get sick and are wondering if they need to go to the hospital?
In this newsletter, our goal is to answer these questions based on the opinions of experts in the field and the best information to date.
In addition, we are excited to share information on drone delivery of insulin, mask making and the opportunity to celebrate the AADE (ADCES) Educator of the Year, Dr. Diana Isaacs.
Lastly, please let CMS (Medicare) know that RNs and Pharmacists need to be considered as providers of DSME telehealth services. Now, more than ever, we need all hands on deck.
Thank you everyone. Take extra good care of yourselves.
Beverly
Click here to read our entire April Newsletter
Hopeful news.
DPP-4 inhibitors may contribute to a lowered risk and progression of acute respiratory complications for people with type 2 diabetes and COVID-19.
According to commentary in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, Endocrinologist Gianluca Iacobellis, MD, Ph.D. suggests that DPP-4 inhibitors could help decrease COVID-19-related immune overreaction in people with diabetes. This immune system calming is due to DPP-IVs anti-inflammatory effects.
All told, DPP-4 “may represent a potential target for preventing and reducing the risk and the progression of the acute respiratory complications that Type 2 diabetes may add to the COVID-19 infection,” Iacobellis wrote in his article.
Based on data from the Chinese city of Wuhan and Italy, people with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of serious disease in the current pandemic. The data indicates that people with diabetes have accounted for a large proportion of intensive care admission and deaths related to COVID-19.
“The body is overreacting with this inflammatory response to the virus,” Dr. Iacobellis said in a statement. “This could be partially mediated by DPP-4. The virus binds to the enzyme and the enzymatic activity of DPP4 overexpresses inflammatory cytokines, exaggerating the inflammatory response.”
Read more FierceBiotech
The COVID Pandemic is taking a toll on people with diabetes. What is the critical information Diabetes Care and Education Specialists need as we navigate this pandemic? How can take a leadership role in providing sound recommendations while helping to manage the full range of diabetes issues, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular risk reduction?
Coach Beverly has created this four-session virtual course so that participants can delve deep into the topics that are most pressing for diabetes care now and in the future. We will focus on improving population health and then drill down to individual intervention through case studies. We will discuss implementing cardiovascular risk screening and treatment in the clinical setting and more!
Session 1 – Getting to the Heart of Care – 1.5 CEs – Airs April 23rd
Session 2 – Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Strategies – 1.5 CEs – Airs April 24th
Session 3 – Lower Extremity Assessment and Intervention – 1.5 CEs – Airs April 28th
Session 4 – Making meaningful Connections and a Vision for the Future – 1.5 CEs – Airs April 30th
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
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