Covid-19 may be the cause behind rise in childhood type 1 diabetes: StudyhealthUpdated: Aug 18, 2020 18:53 ISTCases of type 1 diabetes among children in a small UK study almost doubled during the peak of Britain’s Covid-19 epidemic, suggesting a possible link between the two diseases that needs more investigation, scientists said on Tuesday. While the study is based on only a handful of cases, it is the first to link Covid-19 and new-onset type 1 diabetes in children, and doctors should be on the look-out, the Imperial College London researchers said. This study, published in the Diabetes Care journal, analysed data from 30 children in London hospitals diagnosed with new-onset type 1 diabetes during the first peak of the pandemic -- around double the cases seen in this period in previous years. Type 1 diabetes causes insulin-producing cells in the pancreas to be destroyed, preventing the body from producing enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. The Imperial team said one possible explanation might be that the novel coronavirus’ spike protein might attack insulin-making cells in the pancreas.

Source: Hindustan Times August 18, 2020 13:24 UTC