PRESENTATION OF PAEDIATRIC TYPE 1 DIABETES IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA DURING THE INITIAL STAGES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Introduction: Since the commencement of social isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric diabetes centres across Australia have voiced concerns about an apparent reduction in new presentations of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) Objectives: We aimed to assess new presentations of T1DM across the 2 largest treating centers in Melbourne between February-May (inclusive) in 2020, compared to the last 3 years Methods: Data was collected on new presentations of T1DM and severity (including presentation in diabetic ketoacidosis [DKA] and admission to intensive care [ICU]) from February-May from 2017-2020 (inclusive) Results: The absolute number of new presentations of T1DM in 2020 was similar to previous years DKA severity and ICU admissions were similar for all years Conclusions: Concerns regarding increased severity at presentation with pediatric T1DM (due a perceived reduction in access to health care services and broader community fear in the setting of the pandemic) have not been borne out in this data