The Toll of Lockdown Against COVID-19 on Diabetes Outpatient Care: Analysis From an Outbreak Area in Northeast Italy

Abstract

After the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from China, Italy became the second most affected country. One of the first outbreaks started in the municipality of Vo’ in the Padua province of the Veneto region. The area was quarantined, and most residents with symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were admitted to the Padua Hospital. Due to escalating numbers of cases, lockdown measures were imposed at a national level. Along with mass testing, such interventions helped with restraining SARS-CoV-2 diffusion (1). During lockdown, hospitals reorganized to care for COVID-19 patients. From 15 March 2020, outpatient visits were limited to nondeferrable ones, while other appointments were switched to telemedicine, postponed, or cancelled. Diabetes is a key risk factor for severe COVID-19 (2), but the impact of lockdown on diabetes care is less appreciated. We analyzed the outpatient clinic database of the Padua Hospital, containing routine clinical data on demographics, anthropometrics, laboratory results, complications, and therapies. Patients had provided written informed consent for the reuse of anonymized data for research purposes. In agreement with national regulation, the local ethics committee (Padua, Italy) was notified of the protocol. …