Dan Reis This is a repost from a registered nurse , a certified diabetes educator and a veteran type 1
I’m a Registered Nurse and a type 1 over 20 years my self which is also why I’m sharing this to all my groups and hope it will be helpful.
PSA: Autoimmune is not the same thing as immunocompromised.
T1s are not more likely to get Covid-19 just because they have T1. Having chronic high sugars and high A1c might make some people immunocompromised. Having genetics that give you a weaker immune system might make you more likely to get it. Having other autoimmune conditions that are treated with immunocompromising drugs might make you immunocompromised. But just having T1 doesn’t make you more likely to get Covid-19.
Every person has their own unique immune system. Some people with a weak immune system might be more likely to get sick from any virus or bacteria.
Having T1 and getting sick with anything, including Covid-19, can put you into DKA due to being sick. If you have T1 and also heart disease or high blood pressure or COPD, that might make your illness more complicated and severe. This is true for any illness.
Be careful. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Stay away from other people as much as possible. Make sure you have as many T1 supplies as you can so that your trips to pharmacies (where sick people go) is limited. Drink lots of water and work on minimizing the time you’re in the high sugar range. Don’t worry that just because you have T1 that means you’re more likely to get Covid-19.
Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
I found the bolded section interesting. What do u all think? I don’t have the original source.
I saw my endo last Wednesday and she says it is likely that 60% or more of everyone will get the Covid-19. She made sure I was ready to deal with it especially sick day strategies across a week or more.
The sickest I’ve been since I got T1 nearly 40 years ago, was having Chicken Pox about 35 years ago (while I was in college). That was tough, extended high bg’s and massive increase in insulin needs, but I survived. Some positive news she gave me was that with CGM it ought to be easier to ride it out than it was back then.
My worst illnesses have all been before becoming a diabetic around age 30ish (I was dx’d at age 31 but I know I had to have been diabetic for years prior given all of my symptoms). I had mono in HS, and pneumonia in basic training.
Since I became a diabetic, I guess the worst I felt was when myself, my young son, and my then-wife all got sick at the same time. We were so bed-ridden that he had to fend for himself for at least a day. We were too weak to get out of bed. Dunno what it was, and after a few days we were pretty much back to normal. I suppose it was a flu. Before we got married, that same wife (my first one. only been married 2x) had the Hong Kong flu. She passed out while at the hospital, with that one. I was overseas at the time so I only know this because she told me about it later. If she had passed out in front of me, I would have freaked.
I think it’s probably too early to answer this question. Plus, people with T1D may not be at increased risk of catching COVID-19, but may be at increased risk of having a severe disease if they do catch it.
Agree with @Jen.
For most T1’s who are not otherwise immunocompromised, it’s not about infection, it’s about complications after infection, particularly from autoimmune responses.
This is a repost from a registered nurse , a certified diabetes educator and a veteran type 1