Diabetes Mellitus and Other Comorbidities: Outcome among Covid-19 Patients in Kerala: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: Covid-19 was declared by the WHO as a pandemic in 2020; India was also severely affected. Diabetes, a major lifestyle disorder, has seen its prevalence rate rising in developing countries. India is home to the world's second-largest population of diabetes. Several studies have reported greater severity and mortality of Covid-19 in diabetic patients.

Methodology: This was a hospital-based retrospective study done in a rural-based medical college in Kerala State. Data was collected using a semi-structured proforma and analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 25. The study was part of the STS research program of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Results: There were 567 patients in the study. Those with pre-existing diabetes had a worse outcome compared to those with newly detected diabetes. The presence of CKD was associated with a poor outcome. Patients admitted to the ICU, and those on assisted ventilation also had a lower survival rate; within the subgroup, those on non-invasive ventilation had a better outcome.

Conclusion: Mortality in Covid-19 is multifactorial. Those with diabetes have a poor outcome. Comorbidities have been reported to confer a high mortality rate in Covid-19 but this was not so in our study (except for CKD). Variability in outcome with respect to comorbidities and better outcomes in those who were non-invasively ventilated calls for more research to establish the relationship between pre-existing conditions and severity of disease. The use of non-invasive ventilation could also provide succor to resource-limited communities.