Variation of Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Cases During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the chronic diseases that timely and correct management affects the outcome of these patients. COVID-19 is an acute respiratory infection that has created a disproportionate situation for individuals and healthcare systems. The resulting pandemic is associated with delayed presentation of patients as well as increased frequency and severity of acute complications. 

This review study aims to investigate the incidence, initial presentation, frequency, and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) as well as changes in demographic findings, such as age and sex in newly diagnosed T1DM children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The search was conducted in different databases, using the keywords: T1DM, COVID-19, pediatrics, and incidence to find the related articles published in English from December 31, 2019, to March 3, 2022.

There is no clear evidence for increase in the incidence of T1DM and the frequency and severity of DKA in female and younger people during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand the role of pandemic on disease incidence and acute complications.

To reduce the incidence of DKA and speed up the diagnosis of T1DM during the pandemic, people should be informed about their symptoms.