Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Diabetic COVID-19 patients in Kuwait

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and rapidly turned into a global pandemic, resulting in what is now known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 has a highly variable clinical presentation, ranging from asymptomatic to severe respiratory symptoms and death. Diabetes seems to be one of the main comorbidities contributing to a worse COVID-19 outcome. Methods: In this single-center, retrospective study of 417 consecutive COVID-19 patients in Kuwait, we analyze and compare disease severity, outcome, associated complications, and clinical laboratory findings between diabetic and non-diabetic COVID-19 patients. Results: COVID-19 patients with diabetes had a higher prevalence of comorbidities, such as hypertension, higher levels of inflammatory markers, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, and a higher incidence of complications. All of these factors could lead to more severe outcomes and higher mortality than non-diabetic COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Diabetes could be a major contributor to COVID-19 worsening outcomes.