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This is a trend that could worry many people. A recent study has highlighted a possible correlation between the rise in cases of diabetes and the Covid-19 epidemic. Cases of childhood diabetes in Sweden have increased by 62% compared to 2018, according to data from a report issued by the Child Diabetes Fund. “ 460 children received treatment for this type of diabetes in 2022, an increase of 62% compared to 2018 (283 children) “, indicates the association’s report, the conclusions of which are taken up by The Dispatch on June 22.
Figures which are in line with a study published in the specialized journal JAMA in 2023, indicate our colleagues. Several teams of researchers have also observed an increase in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children since the start of the Covid pandemic. The numbers show an increase of 14% the first year of the epidemic, followed by a 27% increase the second year.
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Coincidence or cause and effect?
Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain this alarming trend. Some researchers wonder about a possible autoimmune reaction triggered by the viral infection, which would result in the progressive destruction of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. However, the need to disentangle the direct effects of Covid on this increase remains a significant challenge for the scientific community.
Asked by The Dispatch, Professor Antoine Flahault underlines the complexity of the situation, particularly with regard to attributing the causes to Covid. According to him, in the absence of a control group, he considers it difficult to compare the frequency of diabetes between individuals who have contracted the coronavirus and those who have not had it. However, he does not exclude that a virus like that of Covid “ can disrupt the immune system and disrupt metabolic mechanisms to the point of triggering forms of diabetes in certain predisposed people».
