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Updated: Oct 26, 2025

A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
New-onset diabetes mellitus with COVID-19: Coincidence or cause
J Muthukrishnan1, Abhinav Kumar Verma2, K K Ashta3
1Consultant (Medicine) & Endocrinologist, Medical Division, Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt, India.
Insights
New-onset diabetes mellitus (DM) occurred in some patients hospitalized with COVID-19, presenting with severe symptoms. Further research is needed to understand if COVID-19 causes or is coincidental with new-onset diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a frequent comorbidity in COVID-19 patients, associated with poorer outcomes.
- New-onset DM has been observed in individuals during symptomatic COVID-19 illness.
Observation:
- This report details three cases of new-onset DM diagnosed during COVID-19 hospitalization.
- Patients presented with severe hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis (two cases), or hyperosmolarity (one case).
Findings:
- Anti-GAD-65 antibodies were negative in all observed cases.
- Varying C-peptide secretion levels were noted post-recovery.
- No evidence of exocrine pancreatic dysfunction was found during acute illness or recovery.
Implications:
- The co-occurrence of DM and COVID-19 warrants further investigation to determine causality versus coincidence.
- Understanding this link may improve management strategies for diabetic patients with COVID-19.
Abstract:
Diabetes mellitus (DM) was noted as the commonest comorbidity in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which contributed to worse prognosis in these patients. In some cases, we also noted new-onset DM detected during hospitalization for symptomatic COVID disease. We describe three such cases, where the patients presented with severe symptomatic hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis in two and hyperosmolality in one of them. Antibody to GAD-65 was negative and varying degrees of C-peptide secretion was noted after recovery in them. There was no clinical or biochemical evidence of exocrine pancreatic involvement noted during acute presentation or after the recovery. This interesting phenomenon of coexisting DM in symptomatic COVID-19 requires further studies to differentiate between coincidence or causation.
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