As per a latest Chinese study, those patients who are suffering from high levels of blood sugar are two times as likely to die from COVID-19 as an ordinary sufferer. The research that produced these results examined 605 COVID-19 patients based in two hospitals of Wuhan, the epicenter of the global pandemic.
At the moment though, scientists and researchers haven't been able to pinpoint the exact reason why such people are at a greater risk of mortality. But the results are quite conclusive that those who have hyperglycemia, a condition that causes high levels of sugar in the blood, but not diabetes, are more vulnerable against the dreaded virus.
There was a strong suspicion earlier that diabetes patients could have weaker resistance against COVID-19. In fact, in France, 10 percent of the patients infected with COVID-19 who had diabetes, succumbed to the illness. But this study has shown that even non-diabetics can be at great risk if their blood sugar is not under control.
Causes
Those who performed this research think that the relation between increased mortality and hyperglycemia could be due to the immune system going on an overdrive. This could cause clotting of the blood as well as development of cytokine storm syndrome, a condition that leads to release of cytokines which are inflammatory components of white blood cells.
With this report out, doctors around the world will be compelled to check the glucose or sugar levels of patients infected with Coronavirus. However, this report by itself would not be the last word on this subject. Some experts have pointed out that the report is not exhaustive in finding the causes.
The weakening of the immune system is one of the biggest dangers for those suffering from COVID-19. While the mortality rate of the diseases varies with each country, it has been well established that people above the age of 60 and those who are affected by pre-existing underlying issues are much more likely to fall victim to the pandemic's growing death toll.
The search for a medicine to treat COVID-19 as well as a vaccine continues in right earnest across the world. Unfortunately, there is no success as of now and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already issued a warning that we may never find a vaccine for this dreaded infection.
