Does Ongoing Inflammation in Recovered COVID-19 Disease Aggravates Preexistent Diabetes Mellitus or Unmasks New-onset Diabetes Mellitus? A Single-center Experience of 800 Cases at 6-month Follow-up

COVID-19 has been associated with blood sugar abnormalities such as transient hyperglycemia, aggravation of underlying DM as a result of the ongoing disease process, and treatment options used during management in indoor settings. Inflammatory markers during hospitalization, interventions used during indoor period, and severity of COVID-19 illness in chest imaging have a positive association with blood sugar abnormalities. Proportionate number of transient hyperglycemia cases has evolved toward new-onset DM cases in 6-month post-COVID-19 follow-up. COVID-19 illness has played a role in unmasking new-onset DM.