COVID-19 in patients with diabetes: factors associated with worse outcomes

Diabetes is one of the major comorbidities associated with COVID-19. We aimed to determine the clinical and epidemiological factors associated with the mortality of COVID-19 in diabetic patients in Iran, and also the impact of prescribed antiviral and antibiotics on patients' status.

In this study, we used the national registry of hospitalized patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Symptoms with diabetes from February 18, 2020, to December 22, 2020. Demographic, clinical features, treatments, concurrent comorbidities, and their associations with mortality and severity outcomes were assessed using logistic regression.

78,554 diabetic in-patients with SARS symptoms were included from 31 provinces of whom 37,338 were PCR positive for COVID-19. Older age and male gender are associated with COVID-19 mortality in diabetic patients. CVD is the most frequent comorbidity (42%). CVD, kidney disease, liver disease, and COPD are associated comorbidities which increased the risk of mortality. The mortality rate is higher in diabetic patients comparing to patients with no comorbidities, particularly in younger age groups. The frequency of antiviral, and antibiotics in COVID-19 positive patients was 34%, and 31%, respectively. Antibiotic treatment has no association with mortality in COVID-19 patients.

Diabetic patients indicate higher mortality comparing to patients without any underlying comorbidities. Restrict strategies on increasing effective health care utilization must be considered in diabetic patients, especially in those with parallel underlying comorbidities. Regarding the antibiotic resistance issue and the noticeable use of antibiotics in diabetic patients, it is recommended to prioritize an antibiotic guideline prescription in COVID-19 patients for better stewardship by countries.