Maryland Spending $94M To Fight, Treat Diabetes Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Will Save Lives, LifeBridge Doctor Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland will spend $94 million to help fight and treat diabetes after the COVID-19 pandemic underlined the severity of the disease, a move one doctor said will save lives.
More than two million Marylanders have diabetes or prediabetes, and it's a major co-morbidity to several diseases, including COVID-19.
Health care technician Rosa Felipe was discharged from a Florida hospital after months in the intensive care unit. Her diabetes was among the underlying health conditions contributing to her hospitalization.
"I'm overcome with emotion because I didn't think I was going to make it," she said.
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Dr. Arsalan Sheikh, an endocrinologist with LifeBridge Health, said COVID-19 makes diabetes more complicated. Last week's announcement of $94 million to prevent, educate and train people on how to manage diabetes will save lives, he said.
"People who have diabetes and develop COVID-19, their risk of complications and mortality, dying from COVID-19 is much, much higher," Sheikh said.
A study over the summer of hospitalized COVID-19 patients showed those with uncontrolled diabetes had a mortality rate of 20.8%, dying at a rate nearly five times higher than those without it.
COVID aside, diabetes has been on the rise in Maryland and among younger people. Dr. Sheikh, though, said health disparities among underserved populations run parallel with risk factors for COVID-19 and other diseases.
"It is the underserved population. African Americans, Latinos are more likely to get complications or die from COVID-19," he said.
The announcement by Gov. Larry Hogan also includes $6.6 million from CareFirst to combat social and health disparities.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
