The impact of COVID-19 on type 1 diabetes and ketoacidosis incidence in pediatric age

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact the region of Lombardy, causing more than 16,000 deaths. Fortunately, children, including those with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), were only slightly affected. It is debated as to whether COVID-19 infection may increase the incidence of T1DM in children and whether the conditions during and following lockdown may have led to an increased number of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset. Objectives: To assess the impact of COVID-19 on T1DM and DKA incidence. Methods: A network of 11 regional pediatric T1DM clinics collected data in children of ages 0-18 years during the time period between March 1-May 31 in the years 2017-2020. Given that all T1DM children are hospitalized at onset and rarely escape this network of regional clinics, it was possible to define a minimal incidence of T1DM without a secondary source, Results: Number of onsets was stable (2017: 206 cases/year, 2018: 199 cases/year, 2019: 233 cases/year, 2020: 105 cases/5 months). DKA at onset varied between 36 and 40% of new onsets. By comparing the cases in the period March 1-May 302,017-2020, an increase in DKA incidence at onset from 11 to 24/1.7 million (p < 003) was found. The minimum regional incidence of T1DM showed a slight increase from 11.7 to 13.7 cases/100000 (0-18 years of age), comparable to previously collected regional data from 2008. Conclusion: These data suggest that COVID-19 infection in Lombardy was not correlated with an in increased T1DM incidence. Furthermore, the minimum regional incidence of TIDM in ages 0-18 years seems stable in the last 10 years. However, a significant increase in the number of DKA at onset was found, many of which were reported to be severe and probably consequent to delayed hospital presentation due to lockdown restrictions and fear of infection, emphasizing the indirect deleterious impact of pandemics on potentially lifethreatening conditions such as DKA.