Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Metabolic Control and Access to Health Care in Patients With Diabetes

The outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) in December 2019 has led to an unprecedented international health situation. Exceptional measures have been taken by public authorities worldwide in order to slow the spread of the virus and prevent healthcare systems from becoming overloaded. In France, a national lockdown has been established during approximately 2 months to increase social distancing and restrict population movements. Hospital routine care appointments have been cancelled, in order to reallocate medical resources towards COVID-19 units and limit contacts between patients within hospitals or waiting rooms. While the virus itself, the disease and potential treatments are currently extensively studied, little data are available on the effect of these public health decisions on the management of a chronic condition such as diabetes. The French regional CONFI-DIAB study aims at assessing the collateral impact of routine care cancellation during the national lockdown due to COVID-19 in patients with a chronic condition such as diabetes. Special attention will be given to metabolic control and access to health care. This cross-sectional study should provide information on the consequences of a global lockdown and the associated routine care cancellation on the management of diabetes, and inform future decision making in the event of a new pandemic.