Children who have had COVID-19 are at an increased risk of developing Type 1 or 2 diabetes, according to a study released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to The New York Times, past studies have shown that adults who have had COVID-19 are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. And research out of Europe suggests, according to The Hill, that levels of diabetes were higher in children after the pandemic than before.
Drawing on data from insurance claims, the study compared diabetes rates in children under 18 who had contracted COVID-19 and never contracted COVID-19. The study found that children who had contracted COVID-19 were 166% more likely to develop diabetes compared to a rate of 30% in children who had not been infected with the coronavirus.
The study also noted that weight gain along with a sedentary lifestyle induced by the pandemic could have contributed to the results.