What You Need to Know-Week of October 5th
The most important weekly updates for you to keep your community healthy
In this Update:
1. Survey Results Are In – Thank you for your input!
2. Latest Developments: Diabetes and COVID-19
3. Quick Question: How long should someone quarantine after an exposure to a COVID-19 case?
1. Survey Results Are In – Thank you for your input!
AZCOVIDTXT is a statewide resource for you, so to make our platform most useful, we reached out to the community to ask what specific COVID-19 topics we could provide more information on. In the survey “We Want to Hear from You,” we asked you about sources of COVID-19 information, misinformation, your biggest concerns, and what you would like to know about the science of COVID-19. We were blown away by the amount of responses! Over 400! If you still want to respond to the text with the link, you are always welcome to go back to it and give us some feedback.
Many of you are concerned and would like to know more about the long-term impacts of COVID-19. We will be sure to keep you updated as new information about the effects of the novel virus are researched. We also received many responses indicating that it is difficult to find trustworthy COVID-19 information. Finally, we know that many of you are experiencing personal and financial hardships. These are unprecedented times, but we will get through them together.
Thank you so much to our Arizona community for your input and continued support – that is invaluable to us at AZCOVIDTXT. Moving forward, we will continue working to produce updates that address issues important to you. Our goal is to make AZCOVIDTXT a timely and trusted source of COVID-19 information for Arizonans.
2. Latest Developments: Diabetes and COVID-19
People with chronic health conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease) are more likely to experience complications from COVID-19. These underlying conditions, including diabetes, are also commonly referred to as “comorbidities”. Research has shown that those with diabetes are at higher risk for severe COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 means that a case may be more likely to develop more serious symptoms, have an increased likelihood for hospitalization, or have a higher risk of developing health complications as a result of the infection.
Why does diabetes increase the risk of severe disease?
- More research on this topic is needed to pinpoint the exact reason(s) why diabetes increases the risk of severe COVID-19 infection. There is a strong link between severe COVID-19 disease and inflammation.
- The more comorbidities present, the greater risk for severe COVID-19.
- Those with diabetes may have impaired immune functioning, which affects an individual’s ability to fight off an infection, like COVID-19.
- Uncontrolled diabetes can cause inflammation over time.
- In addition, high glucose levels have been shown to change the responses of some of our immune cells, including macrophages and monocytes. The ACE2 receptor cells that allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to invade are higher on these immune cells when high levels of glucose are present. Once the virus is inside the cell it then triggers the cytokine response. This “cytokine storm” is thought to be the primary reason for severe COVID-19 disease.
Does the risk of COVID-19 complications differ by diabetes type?
- Those with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness. Individuals with type 1 and gestational diabetes may be at an increased risk, but more research needs to be done before reaching any definitive conclusions.
- Those with prediabetes should consult a healthcare professional for ways to reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Due to COVID-19 and quarantine restrictions, you may have also seen changes in your lifestyle related to your diet or physical activity. This is why it is a good idea to check in with your doctor to assess your diabetes risk.
Does the risk of COVID-19 complications differ by those with controlled and uncontrolled diabetes?
- Yes! The risk of severe COVID-19 is especially high for those with uncontrolled diabetes. Poorly managed diabetes can lead to further health complications such as lowered immune system function, which affects the body’s ability to then fight off infections like COVID-19. Now it is more important than ever to review your diabetes treatment plan with your healthcare provider.
- Therefore, the important thing to note is that the risk of COVID-19 complications is lower for those with well-managed diabetes. Eating a well-balanced diet, incorporating exercise into your daily routine, maintaining blood sugar levels, and taking prescribed diabetes medication are all important aspects to managing diabetes. Consult with your healthcare provider to ensure that you are managing your own diabetes properly.
Information for this post was gathered from the American Diabetes Association. Visit ADA COVID19 FAQ for more information.
3. Quick Question: How long should someone quarantine after an exposure to a COVID-19 case?
With the amount of circulating COVID-19 information, it can be difficult to remember the exact guidelines to follow after having an exposure to the virus.
- Note: Current CDC guidance does not allow you to “test out of quarantine”. This means that even if you receive a negative test result after 5-7 days quarantine, you should still complete the full 14 day quarantine after having close contact with someone who is infected. It may be confusing right now given all of the high profile people continuing on their public circuits who have been exposed to people confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 infection. The table below provides information on how long to quarantine if you have had an exposure:
If you DO NOT live with the COVID-19 case
- You should quarantine (stay home and avoid all other individuals) yourself for 14 days after the last exposure to the sick person.
- Quarantining yourself for 14 days after your potential exposure helps to ensure that you do not have the virus and that you cannot spread it to others.
If you DO live with the COVID-19 case
- Members of the home should quarantine (stay home and avoid all other individuals) themselves for an additional 14 days starting after:
- It has been 10 days since the sick person developed symptoms
- AND The COVID-19 case has gone 24 hours without a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medications)
- AND All the COVID-19 case’s symptoms are improving
In other words The quarantine period for the household members begins the day the 10 day isolation period for the sick person ends and must continue for an additional 14 days.
The next update will cover information about Halloween. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to COVID-19 in Arizona, please complete next week’s AZCOVIDTXT survey that you will receive via text in about a week.