What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus in children.

February 8, 2026PLoS ONEOpen Access

Impact of COVID-19 on New – onset Type 1 diabetes mellitus: A six-year retrospective review from two Paediatric clinics, Kampala, Uganda

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Retrospective review assesses increased new-onset T1DM incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a growing trend in Uganda.

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus in children.
Conducted a retrospective review of medical records from two paediatric clinics.
Included children aged 6 months to 19 years diagnosed with new-onset T1DM from March 2017 to February 2023.
Compared clinical and demographic characteristics between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods.
Analyzed trends using interrupted time series and statistical tests.
245 children were included, with a mean diagnosis age of 10.9 years.
New cases diagnosed during COVID-19 increased to 60.4%, compared to 39.6% pre-COVID-19.
The increase of new diagnoses was 52%, although not statistically significant.
66% of children presented with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis, consistent across both periods.

Ahabwenki et al. (2026) studied this question.

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