Maintaining good glucose is important for the immune system
Professor Julianna Chan, an expert in diabetes, has said in a recent interview that having diabetes can increase the risk of contracting the new novel coronavirus. If someone with diabetes have long-term high blood glucose levels, it will affect the body’s ability to function properly causing weakness in the immune system and damage to the blood vessels. This will increase the risk of life-threatening complications especially in critical situations.
Professor Chan said the current data on diagnosis of the new novel coronavirus is still scarce, therefore calculating how many more patients with diabetes are infected verses those without is difficult. However, based on past experience and research data from SARS, the mortality rate of people with diabetes was eight times higher than that of people without diabetes of the same age and sex. Patients with diabetes were two to three times more likely to develop any acute or chronic disease than people of the same age and same sex. Professor Chan suggests that during this period of the novel coronavirus epidemic, in addition to maintaining good personal hygiene, people with diabetes should also pay close attention to their blood glucose levels. Having a healthy body and immune system will help to avoid contracting the virus.
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Original source: AM730.com.hk