Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Control during COVID 19 Pandemic in Qatar 2020: A Retrospective Data Analysis

Background: Qatar is considered as one of highly prevalent countries of type 2 diabetes, with a prevalence of 17 %. Since the start of the global pandemic of COVID-19 the type of service and the access to health centers had changed during the pandemic, so we wanted to know the effect of this major change in the level of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients followed in the PHCC (Primary Health Care Corporation) and compare it with previous studies. Also we wanted to know the relation between level of glycemic control and number of phone consultations done for each patient and finally the prevalence of Covid 19 in type 2 diabetic patients followed in PHCC. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective data analysis extracted from medical records of patients with Diabetes Melittus type 2 followed at PHCC, in year 2020 Results: The data was extracted for 17,413 patients with type 2 diabetes. The mean HbA1c in our sample was 7.45 +/- 1.67% before the pandemic, and 7.34 +/- 1.61% during it (Paired t test P<0.001). The mean weight was 82.6 +/- 17.40 Kg before the pandemic, and 82.3 +/- 17.43 Kg during it (Paired t test P<0.001). Using unpaired t test and one way ANOVA, when analyzing the percentage changes in mean HbA1c among different groups of the sample, no clinical significant (P>0.05) changes in HbA1c was noticed among any group (although most of these groups showed statistical significance in which P<0.01 and this could be due to larger sample size studied). Pearson correlation analysis indicates percentage change in mean HbA1c didn't have any significant correlation with demographic and various comorbidities. A total of 8.06% (95% CI 7.66, 8.47) of the patients suffered a COVID-19 infection during the study period. Our sample patients received 45,701 consultations during the study period of which 60.60% were virtual. Conclusion: The results showed no significant difference in level of glycemic control during the year 2020 as the mean of HbA1c had not changed; the mean was 7.45% and became 7.34%, with a prevalence of 8.06% for positive cases of Covid in the sample.