Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41642817›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

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

Rosemary Ahabwenki, Thereza Piloya, Flavia Namiiro, Wani Muzeyi, Catherine Nyangabyaki, Thomas Katairo, Aidah Namugumya, Joan Nakimera, Fred Kyekulidde, Robert Kidega and 6 more

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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Rosemary AhabwenkiDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7782-444X
Thereza PiloyaDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Flavia NamiiroDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Wani MuzeyiDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Catherine NyangabyakiDepartment of Pediatrics and child health, St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, Kampala, Uganda.
Thomas KatairoInfectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC), Kampala, Uganda.
Aidah NamugumyaDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Joan NakimeraDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Fred KyekuliddeDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Robert KidegaDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5283-2148
Fozia Nizar AliDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Angella MirembeDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Bernard KikaireDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Grace NdeeziDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Victor MusiimeDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.
Sarah KiguliDepartment of pediatrics and child health, school of medicine, college of health sciences, Makerere university, Kampala, Uganda.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundType 1 Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, yet data from low-income countries remains scarce. Recent reports suggest a rising global incidence of new-onset T1DM, projected to double by 2045. The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have further influenced T1DM onset and severity at presentation, with several studies reporting increased incidence and higher rates of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus onset.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective review of medical records for children aged 6 months to 19 years diagnosed with new-onset T1DM between March 2017 and February 2023 at Mulago and Nsambya hospital's paediatric diabetes clinics. Clinical and demographic characteristics were compared between the pre-COVID- 19 (March 2017-February 2020) and COVID-19 (March 2020-February 2023) periods using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Trends in new onset type 1 diabetes were analyzed using interrupted time series with 12 six-month intervals. STATA 17.0 was used for the analysis.

resultsA total of 245 children were included. The mean age at diagnosis was 10.9 years (SD ± 4.5), with 56% being female. More cases were diagnosed during the COVID-19 period (60.4%, n = 148) compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (39.6%, n = 97), representing a 52% increase, although it was not statistically significant (p = 0.1997). Overall, 66% (n = 162) presented with DKA at diagnosis, with similar proportions in both periods (pre-COVID: 61%, COVID-19: 69%).

conclusionThere was a rising trend in T1DM among Ugandan children at Mulago and Nsambya pediatric diabetic clinics, from 2.7 new cases/month during pre-COVID to 4.1/month during the pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1AdolescentChildChild, PreschoolDiabetic KetoacidosisFemaleHumansIncidenceInfantMalePandemicsRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2UgandaYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41642817
PMCPMC12875443

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.