A Comparative Study Between the Frequency of New Cases of Type ۱ Diabetes Two Years Before and Two Years During COVID-۱۹ Pandemic in Be’sat Hospital, Hamadan City, Iran

Background: Studying the impact of the COVID-۱۹ pandemic on the incidence of type ۱ diabetes mellitus (T۱DM) is a vigorous area of research to identify potential triggers and preventive interventions.  Objectives: This study aimed to determine the frequency of newly diagnosed T۱DM during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic and compare the obtained data with the pre-pandemic period.  Methods: From March ۲۰۱۸ to March ۲۰۲۲, all newly diagnosed cases of T۱DM aged less than ۱۹ years were studied retrospectively in the outpatient Endocrinology Clinic of Be’sat Hospital, Hamadan City, Iran, where all new patients with T۱DM are registered. Data regarding age, sex, place of residence (urban, rural), season of diagnosis, and clinical presentations were extracted from the participants’ hospital medical records and then analyzed. Results: This study comprised ۲۷۴ confirmed T۱DM patients. The Mean±SD age of the study population was ۸.۳۹±۴.۲ years, and ۱۳۹ patients (۵۰.۸%) were males. During the COVID-۱۹ pandemic, more new patients with T۱DM were registered in our center than two years before (۱۶۶ vs ۱۰۸ cases). Among those, ۷۵ cases (۴۵.۲%) presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the onset. Although not statistically significant, during the COVID-۱۹ crisis, the frequency of ketoacidosis at presentation of T۱DM was higher than two years before (۵۵.۲% vs ۴۴.۵%, P=۰.۰۹۳). There was no significant difference regarding the mean age of diagnosis of patients with T۱DM between two years before the pandemic and during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic (P=۰.۱۰۹). Although not statistically significant, during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic, most patients with T۱DM were in the age group of ۵-۹ years versus ۱۰-۱۴ years before the pandemic. The frequency of new cases of type ۱ diabetes was higher in girls than boys during the COVID-۱۹ crisis (P=۰.۰۴۸). During the COVID-۱۹ crisis, most cases of T۱DM occurred in summer, while before that, most cases were diagnosed in winter. However, there was no significant difference in seasonality of T۱DM. There was no significant difference in place of living, initial and duration of clinical symptoms, type of infant feeding, and other perinatal factors before and during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic. The frequency of neonatal jaundice in patients diagnosed before the COVID-۱۹ pandemic was significantly higher than that during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic (P=۰.۰۰۱). The frequencies of history of previous or concurrent COVID-۱۹ infection in the participants and their close relatives were ۴۲(۲۵.۳%) and ۳۷(۲۲.۳%), respectively. The presence or history of infectious diseases, including COVID-۱۹, was higher during the pandemic (P=۰.۰۱۱). Conclusions: During COVID-۱۹, we found a higher number of new cases of type ۱ diabetes in our tertiary referral center. The frequency of new cases of type ۱ diabetes was higher in girls than boys during the COVID-۱۹ crisis. The history of neonatal jaundice in patients diagnosed before the COVID-۱۹ pandemic was significantly higher than that during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic.

کلیدواژه ها:

COVID-۱۹ ، Adolescents ، Children ، Frequency ، Newly-diagnosed type ۱ diabetes