Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Children is Not Increased after SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Nationwide Prospective Study in Denmark

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posted on 2023-04-14, 15:50 authored by Rohina Noorzae, Thor Grønborg Junker, Anders Peter Hviid, Jan Wohlfahrt, Sjurdur Frodi Olsen

Objective

It has been hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 infection in children can increase risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Research Design and Methods

We undertook a prospective register-based analysis of children in Denmark where we investigated the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent risk of type 1 diabetes. During the pandemic, Denmark had one of the highest test-rates per capita in the world and 90% of all Danish children were tested.

Results

We did not observe a higher risk of a first time diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children 30 days or more after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, compared to children with a history of only negative SARS-CoV-2 tests (Hazard ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.70, 1.04).

Conclusions

Our data do not support that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with type 1 diabetes, or that type 1 diabetes should be a special focus after a SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.