COVID-19 Recovery Worse for Diabetic Patients, Study Finds

94.3% of non-diabetic patients reported full recovery, vs. 89.8% of diabetic patients.

A study by the University of São Paulo has found that people with diabetes who contracted COVID-19 recovered more slowly, experienced more long-term complications, and had a poorer quality of life compared to non-diabetics. The research, published in Scientific Reports, followed 870 individuals for up to seven months after hospitalization.

Key Findings at a Glance

Recovery rates showed a clear gap. While 94.3% of non-diabetic patients reported full recovery, only 89.8% of diabetic patients did. Diabetic patients also faced higher rates of cardiovascular complications, including heart attacks and angina.

Falls after discharge were nearly twice as common among diabetic patients: 21% reported falls, compared to 11.1% of non-diabetics.

Hospital stays were longer for diabetics, averaging 16 days versus 13 days for non-diabetic patients.

New-onset diabetes emerged as a concern. The study found that 7.3% of non-diabetic participants developed diabetes after infection.

Expert Commentary

"Diabetes isn't only a risk factor for the acute phase of COVID-19. It's also been shown to prolong recovery time and impair quality of life in the long term... a healthcare framework is needed for this population."

— Maria Elizabeth Rossi da Silva, head of the Diabetes Unit at Hospital das Clínicas (FM-USP)

Silva also addressed the rise in new diabetes cases, noting that "the infection may catalyze the onset of diabetes," but added that pandemic-related factors such as "stress, poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity" likely played a role as well.

Study Background

The research compared 320 patients with diabetes mellitus against 550 without diabetes. All participants were hospitalized between March and September 2020—the first pandemic wave in Brazil, before vaccines were available.

Patients underwent in-person evaluation approximately seven months after discharge. The study is part of a larger project supported by FAPESP, with data collection continuing up to three years post-infection.