ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The past year and a half in the pandemic have been tough for millions of Americans, many trying to balance their personal health and safety through the COVID-19 crisis.

For the 1 in 10 people in this country living with diabetes, COVID-19 has packed a serious punch — often, a deadly one for many families.  

“Anyone who has a serious underlying medical condition that effects their immunity, such as diabetes, is certainly going to be more prone to not only getting sick from COVID but also having more serious consequences and staying sicker longer when they do get the condition,” said Dr. Thomas Kelley, a family medicine physician with Orlando Health. 

Medical leaders say the COVID-19 pandemic has made managing diabetes harder for so many.

“Using the trauma of that diagnosis to do good in the world is a great thing,” said Nancy Murphy.

Ever since she was a child, Murphy has had to carefully manage her Type 1 diabetes. Now, her daughter Grace has also learned to keep a close eye on her own blood sugar. 

“I was four when I was diagnosed, so I figured she made it past four, great," Murphy said. "She made it past five, she got to her sixth birthday, so I was hopeful that she wouldn’t be diagnosed, and then ultimately she was. But then it became, we’re the diabetic duo."

And for more than a decade since, the diabetic duo have become advocates for finding a cure for diabetes and spreading awareness across the Sunshine State.

When the pandemic first hit, Nancy said initial access to supplies and insulin were a top concern for the family. Then, last June, her daughter got COVID-19.

“She didn’t have symptoms initially, but then when she got symptoms, she was sick as a dog," Murphy said. "She couldn’t move, her blood sugars were sky high, she had a fever of over 103 for three solid days, very high fever."

Grace’s high fever and blood sugar levels eventually evened out, but she remained COVID-positive for a month. And concerns over how COVID-19 could impact both her and her daughter’s diabetes lingered.

“The fear was a big part of it. It’s just worrying, like it’s my kid, I want her to be healthy, I want her to be safe," Murphy said. "You know, we work hard to keep her diabetes in check and how challenging it was, with her blood sugars being so high and just making sure she’s getting what she needs and not getting worse."

Dr. Otis Kirksey, with the American Diabetes Association, said people living with diabetes often respond differently to diseases. And often, it's an unfavorable response.

“Now, we know how delicate this patient population is and how you can have a virus such as COVID-19 come in and totally disrupt things, it’s a like a perfect storm,” said Kirksey, Healthcare and Education President-Elect with the American Diabetes Association. 

Data shows that one in 10 Americans is diabetic — information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that of the more than 600,000 Americans killed by COVID-19, 40% had diabetes.

“We knew it was going to be hard, but in terms of the 40% of people who have died from COVID had diabetes, that’s tremendous," Kirksey said. "And that’s something we should all be concerned about."

Serious health repercussions for those living with diabetes are likely, Kirksey said, but equally as concerning are the challenges the pandemic has brought to depression and isolation from staying at home. Self-care, access to medications and supplies, even healthy food access is critical for those living with diabetes — access that for many has been disrupted by COVID-19. 

“Every day I see patients, see friends that have died. It’s hit close to home for everyone," Kirksey said. "I think it’s time for all of us take it serious."

Kirksey said everyone — diabetic, pre-diabetic or otherwise — needs to get their COVID-19 vaccine. And until we get to that point, masks are vital for everyone. 

“Everyone should be wearing masks, in my opinion, for the safety of everyone — for our population, for your neighbor, for your family, it’s just important,” Murphy said. 

Masks together with the vaccinations have given her a feeling of relief, Murphy said, hopeful that with both in place, this pandemic will have a much smaller chance of hurting her family.

Dr. Thomas Kelley with Orlando Health said that many people are diabetic or even pre-diabetic without realizing it or knowing to monitor their blood sugar levels.

Routine care together with annual wellness exams are extremely important, but many people have been putting them off during the pandemic, Kelley said. Especially for those living with high-risk issues like diabetes, those check-ups are too important to miss, he said.

“It’s a condition that, unfortunately, can effect just about every organ in the body in a negative way," Kelley said. "And that’s why it’s so important to make sure that patients are taking their medications regularly, seeing their doctor, having their blood sugar tested and really staying on top of their condition.

"The best way to prevent these serious things from happening is to make sure their diabetes is under very good control."

So, how does blood sugar play into COVID-19? 

"So we do see a correlation between the blood sugar and COVID infections," Kelley said. "Certainly, the more serious a patient's diabetes is, the more uncontrolled it is, typically the sicker they will get if they do get a COVID infection, re-emphasizing how important it is to take the medications regularly, get the blood tested regularly, see the doctors and get regular checkups.

"And again, many physicians are doing this via telehealth if the patient doesn't feel comfortable traveling to the doctor's office."​

Doctors continue to stress that if you have questions or concerns over how your diabetes could be impacted by COVID-19, contact your physician directly.