If you’re someone who has a chronic illness or an underlying health condition like I do, the COVID pandemic has probably been an emotional rollercoaster. (Am I more at risk for coronavirus? How bad will it be if I do get it? Do I have enough supplies to get me through a quarantine?)

The good news: Experts have confirmed that people with well-managed type 1 diabetes aren’t necessarily at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The bad news: Having a condition like diabetes makes any illness more serious for a number of reasons, which I’ll get to in a minute—even if you are young and healthy to start with. This is one of the many reasons why social distancing (actual social distancing, not #socialdistancing with a few “safe” friends) is so important for everyone to practice with regards to community health: COVID-19 is sometimes asymptomatic, so you may unknowingly pass it along to someone who seems young and healthy, like you, but who also has an underlying health condition that could possibly compromise their ability to battle the virus. Even with a vaccine, the risk of hospitalization and death for people in high-risk groups still remains much higher than it is for the rest of the population.
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For those of you who have diabetes or care for someone who does, here are some trusted resources to educate yourself on the pandemic with regards to the outbreak and managing diabetes with illness in general.
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• Medscape // Endocrinologist Dr. Anne L. Peters from USC—who used to be my doctor in L.A. and is a leader in the field—recorded a great video on how T1Ds should prepare for COVID-19 and why it’s important. ⠀
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• JDRF // Up-to-date info on how coronavirus is impacting the diabetes supply chain (good news: no interruptions at this time), plus how to manage T1D if you do get sick.⠀⠀⠀⠀
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• Beyond Type 1 // Contact info for important resources should you have issues with prescriptions, supplies or devices. This article on Diabetes Disaster Response is also helpful. ⠀
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• American Diabetes Association // A solid overview for people with all types of diabetes, including your legal rights to medical leave during coronavirus.

Like other illnesses, coronavirus has the potential to wildly impact blood sugars (usually insulin resistance that could lead to dangerously high blood sugars/DKA, when blood turns acidic) or impair your ability to properly monitor blood sugar, which can lead to highs and lows. All of these scenarios can get very serious very quickly for diabetics, leading to emergency room visits—which are not ideal right now for obvious reasons. In general, poor blood sugar control can disrupt sleep and immunity, leaving you more vulnerable to illness and making recovery more difficult. All reasons to stay to monitor your blood sugar carefully right now if you’re able.

Bottom line: Take precautions, even if you’re young and otherwise healthy. Educate yourself on how to manage your diabetes if you do get sick. And make sure you’ve got enough diabetes meds, supplies, and treatments for highs and lows in case you do become ill.

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Words and creative + art direction: Larkin Clark
Photography: Ashley Batz

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