Recently, two studies have started a debate among the experts on "whether the coronavirus can trigger the chronic condition." These two studies showed that COVID-19 in children and teens appeared to raise the risk of developing diabetes.

In the first study, researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health used national health registries to find new diagnoses of type 1 diabetes over two years after the start of the pandemic. They found that youngsters who had tested positive for the coronavirus were 60% more likely to develop type 1 diabetes. The second study, conducted in Scotland, the results of which were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference, showed that COVID-19 heightened the risk of developing diabetes within a month after the viral illness in kids, teens, and young adults. However, they found no association between the infection and diabetes.

Both studies emphasized that there is no cause-and-effect relationship between the coronavirus and diabetes, but the findings highlighted other possible culprits, including delays in seeking care during the pandemic, the spread of other viruses, and lifestyle changes related to lockdowns. Earlier this week, a report published in The Lancet revealed that the number of people living with type 1 diabetes may swell to as many as 17.4 million by 2040, up from 8.4 million last year. Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an associate professor at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield department of primary care health sciences, stated that although there are several credible reasons why COVID-19 might lead to the development of type 1 diabetes, there is no evidence proving them.

(Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/covid-infection-linked-to-more-type-1-diabetes-in-kids-and-teens-study-101663902055883.html )