Predictors of mortality in a multiracial urban cohort of persons with type 2 diabetes and novel coronavirus 19

BACKGROUND: Diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for intubation and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). We seek to examine the impact of clinical variables such as glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) on mortality and need for intubation, as well as demographic variables such as age, sex, and race on persons with type 2 diabetes and COVID‐19. METHODS: Analyses were conducted on 4413 patients with an International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD‐10) diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and COVID‐19. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan‐Meier curves and the log‐rank test to compare subgroup analyses. RESULTS: In this multivariate analysis, male gender, older age, and hyperglycemia at admission were associated with increased mortality and intubation, but this was not seen for race, ethnicity, insurance type, or HbA1c. Based on Kaplan‐Meier analysis, having comorbid conditions such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery disease was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Glycemic levels at admission have a greater impact on health outcomes than HbA1c. Older men and those with comorbid disease are also at greater risk for mortality. Further longitudinal studies need to be done to evaluate the impact of COVID‐19 on type 2 diabetes.