The pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the nation, and has had many unexpected consequences beyond the transmission of the virus and the health troubles that entails. For people who have already been dealing with diabetes, Covid-19 has offered additional hardships in a few critical ways.
Larger Percentage of Deaths
There has been a disproportionate amount of Covid-19 fatalities in the diabetic community, considering the pre-existing conditions of these patients. Tracey D. Brown, CEO of the American Diabetes Association said, “As many as 40 percent of the COVID fatalities – 120,000 Americans – have been people with diabetes, and more in our community may be at risk of the worst of the virus’ effects because so many are now unable to manage their diabetes effectively.”
Reduced Health Care Access
There are several ways that diabetics have suffered in the midst of the pandemic. One is with reduced access to health care.
- Some people have lost health care because they have lost jobs or do not have enough additional money to pay for it.
- Diabetics have delayed routine medical care.
- The pandemic has also caused delay in people getting new diabetes technology, like insulin pumps, or the supplies needed to use them.
Access to food
Another way that diabetics have beared the brunt of the pandemic is with reduced access to the healthy food they so desperately need to stay healthy.
- According to the American Diabetes Association, “Nearly 1 in 5 say they must now rely on some sort of nutrition assistance; a third of those individuals are now leaning on local food banks for themselves and their families.”
- The access of diabetes to healthy foods has been diminished during the pandemic.
- Nearly 1 in 5 diabetics have had to choose between buying food or medicine during this pandemic time.
Food and medicine are the quintessential building blocks of a healthy lifestyle for a diabetic, and without quality access to both, their health is in jeopardy. Hopefully the economy will even out, allowing more diabetics to get back to work, income, and a healthy lifestyle.
