A COVID-19 infection can increase the chances of developing Type 1 diabetes, specifically when it comes to younger people, according to a new study.

Research published in  found that the risk of Type 1 diabetes was greater in patients aged 18 and younger for up to six months after a COVID-19 infection, compared to those who had experienced a respiratory infection that was not COVID-19. 

The study, completed by examined close to 319,000 young people with COVID-19 and about 776,000 with infections that were not COVID-19. 

And though it鈥檚 a rare complication of COVID-19, it鈥檚 not something to dismiss, Dr. IsaacBogoch, an infectious disease physician, told 愛污传媒 Channelon Thursday.

鈥淲hen people get a COVID-19 infection, there鈥檚 often a cascade in the body to mount an immune response, and we know Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition,鈥 said Bogoch. 

Research over the last two years of the pandemic has indicated that COVID-19 is associated with worsening symptoms of diabetes for those who already have the disease,

But the reports also point to an increased risk of developing diabetes, specifically for young people under 18 years old, according to U.S. data collected over the pandemic from .

Among about 80,000 patients with COVID-19, diabetes incidence was 316 per 100,000 people. Within that group, new diabetes cases were 166 per cent more likely to occur in people with COVID-19 than people without,. . 

With autoimmune conditions, the body attacks itself, and with Type 1 diabetes it attacks 鈥渟pecial cells in the pancreas鈥, said Bogoch.

There鈥檚 likely a link between the development of antibodies during COVID-19, and in a 鈥渧ery small, but not insignificant number of people鈥, sometimes there will be a 鈥渃ross reactivity鈥 and the antibodies could end up attacking the pancreas, said Bogoch.

鈥淔ortunately, it鈥檚 rare, but it鈥檚 another long-term complication of COVID-19 we鈥檙e seeing,鈥 he said.

Type 1 diabetes can be accompanied with extreme thirst, weight loss and frequent urination, said Bogoch. But he emphasized that this is a rare complication of COVID-19 and that while some studies have demonstrated a link, there are others that have not.

鈥淏ut no one would be surprised if this ends up being a real link as we have seen in a few studies so far,鈥 he said.

Within the six months to one year after recovery from COVID-19 infections, there is also a rise in the risk of blood clots, including in the veins, and a small but 鈥渞eal鈥 increase in heart attacks and strokesoverall, he said.

鈥淭he absolute risk of this is actually pretty small, but the relative risk of this is higher if you鈥檝e had COVID,鈥 he said. 鈥淏lood clots, we see some people develop brain fog, shortness of breath and fatigue that鈥檚 persistent, there are unfortunately many complications after COVID-19 that we don鈥檛 fully understand,鈥 he said.