The profound impact of COVID-19 on the control and care of diabetic patients: a comprehensive retrospective cohort study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant reallocation of healthcare services, focusing on pandemic response and emergency preparedness. The Oman Ministry of Health has implemented various measures to combat and control COVID-19. However, this shift has harmed routine outpatient appointments, particularly for chronic diseases such as Diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN). Considering this, our study aims to determine the specific effects of the pandemic on diabetes control, focusing on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP), lipids (mainly low-density lipoprotein (LDL), weight/ Body mass index (BMI), and compare these to pre-pandemic levels. Methods A retrospective cohort study of 223 diabetic patients aged 20–95 years who had a blood workup in 2019 and 2020 and were registered in Al-Khuwair Health Centre from March to December 2020. Data was extracted from the Al Shifa 3plus System and National Diabetic Register (NDR). SPSS was used to analyse the data. Results Out of 260 patients with diabetes, 223 were included in the study, and 37 were excluded (new DM patients and existing patients without follow-up in 2019). The results showed significant HBA1C, Systolic BP, and BMI changes between 2019 and 2020. The mean HbA1c in 2019 (6.9%) was lower than in 2020 (7.2%). Similarly, the mean SBP in 2019 (131.22 mmHg) compared to 2020 (134.84 mmHg), mean BMI in 2019 (30.49), whereas in 2020 (30.80). The LDL and diastolic BP did not change. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare systems globally, and it was not only the direct impact of the virus that caused the consequences or mortalities; it could also be the modifications in priorities. Due to the interruptions in inconsistent care, consequences of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were advertised. Future strategic plans should be prepared and implemented to manage NCD cases in case of pandemics.