Retrospective Analysis of the Characteristics of the Post-COVID Period in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Infected During Different Variant-Associated Periods of COVID-19

BACKGROUND: Since the emergence of coronavirus infection in clinical practice, particular attention has been paid to its acute phase. However, to date, the direct and indirect impact on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after recovery from coronavirus infection remains an open question. OBJECTIVE : To determine the clinical and laboratory features of the post-COVID period in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus during different phases of the infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS : A descriptive retrospective study was conducted using the electronic medical records of 134 patients who had recovered from coronavirus infection. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were women, with no significant differences in age and gender distribution across the groups (p=0.384 and p=0.207, respectively). During the «Omicron» period, there were fewer comorbidities and fewer hospitalized patients compared to the other groups (p<0.0167). Regarding diabetes-related conditions, frequent urination was observed only in patients during the «Alpha» period, while the frequency of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, the severity of chronic kidney disease, and manifestations of polyneuropathy did not differ significantly between the groups (p>0.0167). When examining newly diagnosed diseases, a statistically significant difference was found only in musculoskeletal disorders (16.7% in «Alpha» vs. 30.2% in «Delta» vs. 3.7% in «Omicron», p=0.015). In the analysis of laboratory indicators, a difference was detected in platelet counts and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT): median platelet counts were significantly lower in the «Alpha» and «Delta» groups compared to the «Omicron» group (210 [179.2–249.7] x10⁹/L and 218 [196.5–281] x10⁹/L vs. 255 [208–327] x10⁹/L, respectively, p=0.016). The APTT was significantly longer for «Alpha» and «Delta» compared to «Omicron» (28 [23.6–31.3] seconds vs. 30.3 [26.1–34.9] seconds vs. 27.1 [22.4–30.3] seconds, respectively, p=0.013). CONCLUSION : Real-world data allow tracking the development of new symptoms and diseases in patients during the post-COVID period. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus during the «Omicron» variant-associated period had a lower risk of developing new symptoms and diseases. It is necessary to implement solutions for monitoring target HbA1c levels through medical information systems and to enhance reporting standards for patient symptoms to enable more accurate analysis Real world data (RWD).