Study finds Covid unlikely to explain children’s diabetes spike

Coronavirus infections do not appear to explain the rise in type 1 diabetes among children during pandemic lockdowns, according to a University of Helsinki study reported by Yle. Changes in environmental factors, including children having less contact with other people and microbes, may have played a role.

Researchers found that the incidence of type 1 diabetes rose by nearly 16 per cent during restrictions. After restrictions ended, incidence fell by 15 per cent among children over the first 16 months.

“The dramatic spike in type 1 diabetes cases seen in Finland during restrictions levelled off and turned into a clear decline as soon as society reopened and restrictions were lifted,” said Susanna Tall, a doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Medicine.

The researchers analysed registry data, which cannot establish what caused the children’s illnesses. Tall said further research is needed to identify the specific changes during lockdowns that may have affected the onset of diabetes.

About 500 children and young people under 16 are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Finland each year. Around a third receive treatment at HUS. The causes of the disease are not fully understood, but both hereditary and environmental factors, including viral infections, are involved.