Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has shown greater severity in people with co-morbidities; diabetes being the leading cause of higher mortality rates in COVID-19 patients. Besides compromised immunity, there are other factors that make diabetics more prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection. To date, there is no clinically proven treatment for this disease, but fortunately there are several reports of vaccines in different stages of development. This review compiles some commonly used anti-diabetic drugs and their probable efficacy during a COVID-19 attack. This is also an attempt to understand the cause of severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in diabetic patients. Until a proper cure or approved vaccine is available, it is best to manage the disease by improving the immune status and making use of already available drugs that show potential against the virus.
Highlights
The year 2020 started with the onset of a viral infection called the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Studies suggest that poor prognosis of diabetes in COVID-19 patients is due to several factors that include compromised innate immunity, inflated cytokine response, reduced expression of ACE2 and use of drugs that interfere with renin angiotensin system (RAS) in diabetic patients
Lopinavir, ritonavir when administered for the treatment of COVID-19 make the situation worse in people with diabetes mellitus
Summary
The year 2020 started with the onset of a viral infection called the novel corona virus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus spreads in the form of droplets dispersed in the air while an infected person coughs, sneezes and even talks. This pathogen can survive on surfaces the duration varying from a few hours up to a few days depending on the environmental conditions and the type of surface [1]. The present review is an attempt to understand COVID-19 and its interplay with diabetes mellitus Since, this virus is novel, not much has been reported regarding its severity in patients having pre-existing non-communicable diseases like diabetes. Since there are no effective treatment options for COVID-19, doctors have been prescribing drugs that are either approved for other conditions or have been tested against viral infections other than SARS-CoV-2
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