SARS-CoV-2 infection and new-onset type 1 diabetes in the post-acute period among children and young people in England

Abstract

Aims

To examine if SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with new-onset type 1 diabetes in the post-acute period in children and young people (CYP).

Methods

In this population cohort, we used data on all hospital activity in England to estimate type 1 diabetes incidence among CYP aged 0–17 exposed to SARS-CoV-2 between May 2020 and August 2022, from day 28 after a positive test for the following 6 months. We compared this with unexposed CYP who were hospitalized for elective procedures or following trauma during the pandemic, and in the 2 years prior to the pandemic (historic cohorts). We excluded CYP with prior chronic illnesses. We undertook Cox regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation and season of index date, and stratified by periods when different SARS-CoV-2 variants were dominant.

Results

There were 1,087,604 CYP in the exposed cohort, 143,748 in the trauma cohort, 253,368 in the elective cohort, 160,925 in the historic trauma cohort and 388,673 in the historic elective cohort. Hazard of developing type 1 diabetes was significantly higher among those exposed than unexposed CYP: 2.4 [1.58–3.64] relative to the trauma cohort, 2.9 [2.00–4.13] relative to the elective cohort, 4.2 [2.56–7.04] relative to the historic trauma cohort and 2.4 [1.81–3.10] relative to the historic elective cohort. Associations may be strongest during the Delta period.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with subsequent incident type 1 diabetes in the 1–7 months after an acute infection in previously healthy CYP.