Are people with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus at high risk of reinfections with COVID-19?

Abstract

Several cases of positive real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results (called "re-positives") after recovery from COVID-19 have emerged worldwide. These cases could represent patients experiencing a "turn positive" of nucleic acid detection attributed to the high false-negative rate of RT-PCR. On the contrary, in symptomatic patients, the possibility of reactivation or true reinfection remains. We hypothesize that people with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus might be at a high risk of reinfections with COVID-19 attributed to the impaired adaptive immune response. In fact, multiple cases of re-positives/re-infections in people with diabetes mellitus have hitherto been reported.

Keywords: COVID-19; Diabetes mellitus; Reinfections.