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500,000 diabetic Kenyans at a higher risk of dying from Covid-19

Sunday, July 26th, 2020 11:49 | By
Coronavirus is more deadly to people with diabetes

At least 500,000 Kenyans with diabetes are at a higher risk of dying from coronavirus if they contract it, the Health Ministry has revealed.

Although diabetic people stand equal chances of contracting coronavirus with the non-diabetic ones, the Ministry revealed that diabetic patients are more likely to die.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said on Saturday that studies have placed diabetes as double likely to send Covid-19 patients to the intensive Care Unit(ICU).

Also, diabetes as comorbidity constitutes 15 percent of the total coronavirus deaths in Kenya. Of the 278 people who died from Covid-19, 41 of them were diabetic.

"Diabetes patients are twice as likely to require intensive care than Covid patients without diabetes," said CS Kagwe.

Diabetes is among the preexisting conditions that have threatened life for coronavirus patients, the Ministry observed.

The CS said of the people who died from coronavirus in Kenya, over half of them had preexisting health conditions with diabetes constituting to 16 percent.

Complications brought by diabetes like kidney diseases and cardiac conditions have been found to complicate situations for Covid-19 patients.

CS Kagwe sensitized the need for healthy lifestyles that keep away factors for diabetes such as obesity.

Type 2 diabetes is predisposed by obesity which is mainly caused by sedentary lifestyles and overweight conditions.

"Many patients with type 2 diabetes are obese and obesity is also a risk factor for severe infection," he added.

Abdominal obesity was observed to cause mechanical respiratory problems thus making it deadly for patients with coronavirus.

Of the 278 people who have died in Kenya from Covid-19, at least 41 of them had diabetes, the Ministry noted. Both hypertension and diabetes are responsible for 130 of the total 278 Covid-19 deaths.

Seeing the impending danger if the diabetic population contracts Covid-19, the Ministry has advised Kenyans to protect the people with diabetes.

"If you happen to live with someone with diabetes, you must also be aware that you are a potential carrier of the disease. You must ensure you keep high levels of hygiene," CS Kagwe appealed.

Meanwhile, the Ministry reported 375 more coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 16,643. Also, 128 patients have recovered, bringing total recoveries to 7574.

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