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Updated: Oct 6, 2025
A High-Throughput Multiplexed Screening for Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Diseases, and COVID-19
Published on: July 5, 2022
Risk for Newly Diagnosed Diabetes >30 Days After SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Persons Aged <18 Years - United States,
Insights
COVID-19 infection increases the risk of new-onset diabetes in children and adolescents. This finding underscores the importance of COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination, for this age group.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted individuals with diabetes, increasing their risk of severe illness.
- Studies have indicated a rise in type 1 diabetes diagnoses and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among European pediatric populations during the pandemic.
- Emerging evidence suggests that diabetes may be a long-term complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the risk of new diabetes diagnoses (type 1, type 2, or other) occurring more than 30 days after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in individuals under 18 years of age.
- To compare diabetes incidence in pediatric patients with COVID-19 against control groups: those without a COVID-19 diagnosis during the pandemic and those with a prepandemic diagnosis of acute respiratory infection (ARI) not caused by COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing IQVIA healthcare claims data (March 2020–February 2021) and HealthVerity data (March 2020–June 2021).
- Analysis included pediatric patients (<18 years) diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Incidence of new diabetes diagnoses was compared between COVID-19 patients and matched control groups (no COVID-19 diagnosis or prepandemic non-COVID-19 ARI).
Main Results:
- Diabetes incidence was significantly higher in pediatric patients with COVID-19 compared to those without COVID-19 in both IQVIA (HR=2.66) and HealthVerity (HR=1.31) databases.
- The risk of new diabetes diagnoses was also significantly elevated in COVID-19 patients compared to those with prepandemic non-COVID-19 ARI (IQVIA HR=2.16).
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 infection is associated with an increased risk of developing new-onset diabetes in individuals under 18 years of age.
- These findings highlight the critical need for COVID-19 prevention strategies, such as vaccination, for all eligible children and adolescents.
- Continued monitoring for long-term health consequences, including diabetes, following SARS-CoV-2 infection in this population is essential.
Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with diabetes, who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19.* Increases in the number of type 1 diabetes diagnoses (1,2) and increased frequency and severity of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the time of diabetes diagnosis (3) have been reported in European pediatric populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In adults, diabetes might be a long-term consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (4-7). To evaluate the risk for any new diabetes diagnosis (type 1, type 2, or other diabetes) >30 days† after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), CDC estimated diabetes incidence among patients aged <18 years (patients) with diagnosed COVID-19 from retrospective cohorts constructed using IQVIA health care claims data from March 1, 2020, through February 26, 2021, and compared it with incidence among patients matched by age and sex 1) who did not receive a COVID-19 diagnosis during the pandemic, or 2) who received a prepandemic non-COVID-19 acute respiratory infection (ARI) diagnosis. Analyses were replicated using a second data source (HealthVerity; March 1, 2020-June 28, 2021) that included patients who had any health care encounter possibly related to COVID-19. Among these patients, diabetes incidence was significantly higher among those with COVID-19 than among those 1) without COVID-19 in both databases (IQVIA: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.66, 95% CI = 1.98-3.56; HealthVerity: HR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.20-1.44) and 2) with non-COVID-19 ARI in the prepandemic period (IQVIA, HR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.64-2.86). The observed increased risk for diabetes among persons aged <18 years who had COVID-19 highlights the importance of COVID-19 prevention strategies, including vaccination, for all eligible persons in this age group,§ in addition to chronic disease prevention and management. The mechanism of how SARS-CoV-2 might lead to incident diabetes is likely complex and could differ by type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Monitoring for long-term consequences, including signs of new diabetes, following SARS-CoV-2 infection is important in this age group.
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