If you are a person with diabetes, you are considered higher risk for experiencing complications associated with the new coronavirus (COVID-19). Not only that, but if you’re required to stay home, you may need to take extra preparation steps to make sure that you have supplies and medications on hand.
There’s no reason to panic, though. Here, we compiled information on how to prepare if you have diabetes.
Coronavirus Symptoms vs Cold: How Do They Compare?
Diabetes & COVID-19
It can also be harder to regulate your blood glucose when you are sick, especially if your illness keeps you from eating or drinking water regularly. For people with diabetes, this can lead to additional complications on top of the illness itself.
Getty Images/dowell
How to Prepare
With the holidays approaching, there may be concerns around traveling. However, there are ways to host a CDC-approved Thanksgiving as well as other holidays. Focus on outdoor celebration, and try to limit gatherings to those in your household or community. The CDC also recommends limiting travel and especially avoiding cruise travel and nonessential air travel, for people at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Yourlocal public health departmentmay have set additional travel recommendations, but the important thing to remember is to stay home as much as possible.
For someone with diabetes, there are additional steps to take to help get you ready for a potential state of emergency or quarantine. Firstly, theAmerican Diabetes Associationrecommends having all the supplies you need to manage your diabetes accounted for and readily available.
This can include, but is not limited to (see thefull list of recommendations from the ADA):
You may want extra test strips, cleaning supplies, batteries for a glucose meter, hand sanitizer and other food and supplies on hand.Here is a list of foods and supplies to stock in a first-aid kitto help you get prepared.
It’s not a bad idea to have a plan for sick days.
What to Do If You Get Sick
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, call your doctor. Common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath. TheAmerican Diabetes Associationhas common tips for if you get sick, including the following:
Drink fluids. If you can’t keep water down well, try to take a sip every 15 minutes to avoid becoming dehydrated.
Additionally, you should try to check your blood glucose levels more frequently when you’re sick. If your blood sugar is low, eat a simple carb right away, like honey, jam or juice. If you are experiencing a high, check your blood glucose several times to confirm and check for ketones.
If you test positive for ketones, contact your doctor or health care team. Some medications, such as Tylenol, can impact the reading from a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), so it is recommended to test with finger sticks for accuracy if you can.
Continue to wash your hands and clean your injection and/or finger-stick sites with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Bottom Line
COVID-19 should not cause you to panic, even if you have diabetes and are more at risk of having more serious symptoms. Talk to your health care team if you’re feeling anxious and want to put a plan in place to monitor your health. And don’t forget about self care at this time. “Take breaks from social media and news reports. This can become overwhelming quickly. Allow for downtime to engage in pleasurable activities,” adds Bereolos.
Having plenty of your medications, testing materials and simple-carb snacks on hand in advance is a good precaution in case you become too sick to leave the house or there is an outbreak where you live.
If you become sick, be sure to follow theADA guidelines for managing the diseaseand call your health care team.
Right now, the CDC is advising people to listen to their recommendations, as well as those of local public health officials when it comes to COVID-19. Stay informed, stay home if you can, wash your hands and stay safe.
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Tell us why!OtherSubmit
Tell us why!
