A study found children were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes six months after having a COVID-19 infection, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 14.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed health records for more than 600,000 children 10 to 19 years old between January 2020 and December 2022. The participants were categorized into two equal groups: those with a COVID infection and those with other respiratory infections such as influenza and rhinovirus.
The study also found children who were obese that had COVID-19 were 100% more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to obese children with other respiratory infections.
COVID-19 vaccines were not available to all children until October 2021, a year into the study timeframe analyzed. Vaccines may reduce the risk of a diabetes diagnosis, but more research is required.