Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: COVID 19 is now a global pandemic. Oxygen saturation (SpO2), male gender and diabetes have been associated as risk factors for critical care admission, intubation, and prolonged intubation in hospitalised patients. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may have protective role of against COVID-19

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated inpatient records, of patients admitted over last three months in a public hospital in Northern India to compare attributes and characteristics in COVID-19 patients with and without T2DM. Unpaired t – test, ANOVA and Fisher’s exact test was utilised for statistical analysis

Results: We analysed a total of 318 COVID – 19 patients (178 males, 140 female). Mean age of cohort was 42 years (± S.D. 18, minimum 2, maximum 82, 95% CI 40 to 44). There were 47 (14.7%) patients with T2DM (36 males, 11 female) and 271 (85.2%) patients (142 males, 129 females) did not have T2DM (NT2DM). Mean age in T2DM was 54 years (± S.D. 11, 95% CI 51 to 57, min 31, max 76) and in NT2DM was 40 years (± S.D. 18, 95% CI 38 to 42, min 2, max 82); P<0.0001. There were 76.6% males in T2DM group as compared to 52.4% males in the NT2DM group (OR 2.97 95% CI 1.46 to 6.13); P = 0.0023. The mean peripheral capillary oxygen saturation at the time of admission (SpO2) in cohort was 91% (± S.D. 9, 95% CI 90 to 92). Mean SpO2 in T2DM was 89% (± S.D. 7.6, 95% CI 87 to 91, min 65, max 98) and in NT2DM was 91% (± S.D. 7.6, 95% CI 90 to 92, min 45, max 99); P = 0.11 (ns). Overall, 239 (75.1%) had BCG vaccine. There were 29 (9.12%) T2DM who had BCG vaccination, 210 (66%) NT2DM and had BCG, 18 (5.6%) T2DM- No BCG and 61 (19.1%) NT2DM – No BCG. (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.9) p = 0.27 (NS). 61.7% (29/47) of T2DM and 77.4% (210/271) of NT2DM had BCG vaccination.

Conclusions: We observed that patients with T2DM were significantly older by 14 years, with a greater number of males in T2DM than in NT2DM. SpO2 was numerically less by 2% in T2DM and with relatively less vaccination coverage. The varied differences in T2DM group would make them more vulnerable to severe COVID-19.