Increased Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Boys Under the Age of 5 Years During COVID-19 Lockdowns in Finland, Sweden and Stanford, CA, USA-An Observational Multicenter Study.

AIMS

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with an increased incidence of type 1 diabetes. Changes in the type 1 diabetes incidences in countries like Sweden where very mild COVID-19 pandemic related measures were applied have not been established so far. We analysed the incidence of type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 lockdown and before the lockdown in Sweden, Finland and Stanford, CA, USA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Type 1 diabetes incidence rates during the first 18 months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (3/2020-8/2021) were compared to a period before the pandemic (three corresponding 18-month terms 2014-2019) in Sweden, Finland and Stanford.

RESULTS

In Sweden, type 1 diabetes incidence increased by 5% (IRR 1.05; 95% CI = 0.98-1.12; p = 0.18, N = 4458), in Finland by 17% (IRR 1.17; 95% CI = 1.07-1.27; p < 0.001, N = 2881) and in Stanford by 10% (IRR = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.91-1.34; p = 0.34, N = 531) during the lockdown compared to the time before lockdown. In boys under 5 years of age, the incidence increased significantly in all regions: Sweden (IRR 1.21; 95% CI = 1.00-1.46; p = 0.05, N = 521), Finland (IRR = 1.33; 95% Cl = 1.06-1.67, p = 0.02, N = 363) and Stanford CA, USA (IRR = 2.07"; 95% Cl = 1.06-4.02, p = 0.03, N = 37).

CONCLUSIONS

Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic may have untoward consequences such as an increased risk of type 1 diabetes in young children, boys in particular. The hygiene hypothesis may explain this finding.