According to a BBC report, there has been an unusual rise in the number of children and teenagers around the world diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes since the Covid-19 pandemic.

A new study in JAMA Network Open, external journal has collated available data from different countries, including the UK, on more than 38,000 young people diagnosed during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, the incidence rate of childhood Type 1 diabetes was already increasing – by about 3% a year. However, the study found:

• there was a 14% rise in the rate during the first year of the pandemic, compared to before it
• in the second year of covid, the rate was up about 27% on pre-pandemic levels.

Some of the rise could be attributed to catch-up – from backlogs and delays when health services were shut – but this does not explain all of the newly diagnosed cases. There are some other theories about the cause of the increase: one is that Covid can trigger a reaction in some children which increases the risk of diabetes. Another is that exposure to some germs in childhood can help guard against a number of conditions, including diabetes. Some scientists believe it is possible that lockdowns and physical distancing during Covid meant many children did not get sufficient exposure to germs and missed out on this additional protection.

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