The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that children who had COVID-19 may develop Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Past studies in Europe had established that children and adults who recovered from coronavirus had been diagnosed with diabetes at a higher level since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Scary Mommy reports.
The CDC analyzed the medical records of almost two million children and insurance claim databases of two major insurance companies in the United States before releasing their report. The study compared the rate of diabetes in children under the age of 18 who had had coronavirus against those of children who did not have the disease.
Researchers from the federal health agency found that children who recovered from COVID-19 have a 166% chance of developing diabetes while children who have never had the disease have a 30% risk of having diabetes. Although medical authorities said a sedentary lifestyle can increase the risks of developing diabetes, the fact that children who recovered from coronavirus have a 2.6% increment in being diagnosed with diabetes is disturbing.
CDC investigators disclosed that “COVID-19 might lead to diabetes through a direct attack of pancreatic cells” and that the pandemic has brought about complications of other health conditions. It however remains unclear if Type 2 diabetes diagnosis may become chronic in children who had had COVID-19.
The federal health agency emphasized that eligible children aged five and above should get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of the health protection it confers. The agency also recommends booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12-17 years.
“At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and recommended for teens ages 12 to 17…data show that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants,” the CDC wrote.