Medicams Medical Director Dr Sam Rodgers advised that people can take steps to reduce the risk to their health posed by the virus.
"A person with diabetes, even if in a state of self-isolation, must maintain activity and understand his personal nutritional needs, in the sense of making sure he has the essential vitamins needed by the immune system to better fight infection," Rodgers said to the Express newspaper.
"This advice is more important for those who suffer from basic health conditions. Our own data supports a group of studies that show that a healthy diet and exercise can cause a rapid reversal of serious conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and lung conditions," she added. In less than three to four weeks. "
"In an epidemic environment, people can feel powerless and fearful, especially when they face alarming statistics about the danger posed by COVID-19. We hope that they will be able to think about the positive actions they can take to give their bodies additional assistance to reduce risk and help fight infection."
So, if you have type 2 diabetes, there are lifestyle adjustments that can be made to reduce the risks posed by COVID-19.
According to Natasha Fernando, Chair of Clinical Excellence at Medichecks, the key is to keep blood sugar levels under control.
"If the blood sugar levels are constantly high, the immune response to invading germs will decrease," explains Fernando. Viruses and bacteria also thrive better in high-sugar environments.
"This is the reason why diabetics are more susceptible to infection and suffer worse effects compared to others without diabetes," she explains.
Fernando recommends the Pretiken diet, which consists of a diet rich in low-fat fiber, contains whole grains and lots of fruits and vegetables with daily physical activity outdoors.
Physical activity includes between 45 to 60 minutes of outdoor exercise per day.
According to her, the results of the participants in this study seemed very encouraging, as 71% of the participants who used drugs to control blood sugar were able to stop taking medications as a result of following the Pritikin diet, and 76% of people who did not take the drug They saw their blood glucose levels drop to those without diabetes.
Fernando recommends exercising 150 minutes to 300 minutes (2.5 - 5 hours) per week, as this level of exercise has proven to have significant general health benefits.
And given that the current social isolation measures prevent them from going to the gym for some exercise, a diabetic patient can walk or run outside in an open, uncrowded place.
"Speak to your GP or care team if you are not contacted and think you should have called," the health site says.