‘Zim investigating link between Covid-19 and Diabetes Mellitus’

ZTN Correspondent

Health authorities in Zimbabwe want to investigate the link between Covid-19 and diabetes mellitus following indications of that correlation in some patients.

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar levels to be abnormally high.

A number of Covid-19 patients without diabetes mellitus history have been diagnosed with the condition.

Covid-19 Response Chief Coordinator Dr Agnes Mahomva said: “This is an issue of science that just needs our scientists to look into, do some research, further analysis to be able to confidently come up with any conclusion of that; but the fact still remains those who come to our hospitals because they have severe symptoms or they are critically ill with Covid-19, they are quite clearly screened properly including testing for some of these underlying conditions.”

Zimbabwe Medical Association president Dr Francis Chirowa said the two were related as the virus, in most cases, attacks the pancreas.

“Covid19 and diabetes are quite related. What happens is that the virus causes damage to various parts of the body. One of the organs it damages is the pancreas whose function is to regulate sugar, metabolism and control. Once the pancreas has been damaged, the body doesn’t produce enough insulin. “Therefore, blood sugar goes up and people develop diabetes. Those people who are admitted with Covid-19 illness, quite a lot of them develop diabetes. They will need to be on insulin to lower blood sugar levels.”

Zimbabwe, like much of the globe, is battling Covid-19.

The country has so far recorded 120 088 cases and 4 109 deaths with the recovery rate at 80 percent.