Diabetic foot and COVID-19. Medical consultation and severity of lesions compared to 2019

At the end of 2019 a novel coronavirus was identified as a cause of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. This emerging disease has caused an unexpected turn in the economy and in society, which has led to the necessity of social isolation and confinement. Diabetic foot consultation was affected by the ongoing situation. The aim of this study was to compare the number of medical visits and the severity of new lesions at presentation at the Diabetic Foot Unit during June 2020 compared to June 2019. Three hundred and fifty six medical visits were analyzed, resulting in a 29% reduction in the number of visits during 2020. The number of patients presenting with new lesions increased from 6.4% to 10.3% (p = ns) during pandemic. The number of visits from the patients' relatives was higher during June 2020 (16.3% vs. 1.4%) (p < 0.05). Controls of feet without active lesions (i.e.: closed wound or periodic control) decreased from 16.8% to 4.5% (p < 0.05). Consultation for medical prescription only was higher in 2020 (22.4%) than in 2019 (7.3%) (p < 0.05). In our sample, there were no significant differences in the severity of new lesions at presentation or on the days of evolution of new ones in comparison with the previous year. During 2020, telehealth consults represented a 7% of all medical visits. There were no major amputations during 2019 and 4 during 2020. Given the dynamics of confinement, further studies about this topic are required to make sound and accurate decisions.