[Lifestyle] Do repeated Covid-19 infections affect organs in diabetics? Can common flu shots help?

[Dr@g0n]

 

After a new study showed that repeat infections of COVID-19 pose a risk to various organ systems in the body, questions are swirling about what suffering bout after bout of the disease means for diabetics. Do repeated infections compromise their organs and well-being further and are they at greater risk? “There is no need to panic. First of all, there is not enough data to show whether people with diabetes are more likely to get COVID-19 than the general po[CENSORED]tion. The real issue with diabetics is they’re more likely to have worse complications if they contract an infection, they do not have a greater chance of getting the virus. Also, the more compounded conditions someone has (for example, diabetes with heart disease), the greater their risk of serious complications from COVID-19,” says Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Mohan Diabetes Speciality Centre.

“If you control your diabetes so well that you are almost like a non-diabetic person, then COVID may not manifest with as much severity as is being talked about. We did a study, running antibody tests on 1,000 of our patients. We found that 50 per cent of our patients (those who had diabetes completely under control) didn’t know that they had been exposed to the virus. They were asymptomatic. In fact, overall, I have lost about eight to nine patients to COVID-19 compared to other deaths. Also, many of my patients have had up to three rounds of infection but have negotiated them without further deterioration of their organs. As I mentioned earlier, if your diabetes is well-controlled, chances of the disease having a complex debilitating effect are fewer. And there are rehabilitative protocols to course-correct if people do report inflammation or internal swelling. Even diabetics who have had issues and complications have not slipped into alarming post-COVID situations. So, it would be wrong to make a sweeping statement that all of them are compromised post-COVID,” adds Dr Mohan, ruling out the need for building anxieties.

Also, diabetics have differing immunity levels. “Those whose immunity was defective the last time would have a lower guard and would be more exposed to the risk of contracting or developing severe symptoms. The rest, just like us, are dealing with a long immunity gap. Of course, Indians are fully vaccinated and 27 per cent have also got the precautionary dose. If you haven’t taken the booster, please do so as it may be effective in raising your body’s fighting capacity,” says Dr Mohan. He also ruled out talk of lockdowns or a fourth mRNA shot (which isn’t available in India anyway), saying much research needs to be done to establish its absolute efficacy and utility. Till then, one should gear oneself up with universal precautionary measure

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health-specials/do-repeated-infections-of-covid-19-compromise-organs-in-those-with-diabetes-8339803/