疫情期间确诊糖尿病的未成年患者人数大增

Covid pandemic linked to surge in child and teen diabetes

新研究发现，自新冠疫情发生以来，世界各地确诊1型糖尿病的儿童和青少年人数大增，原因尚不明确。

There has been an unusual rise in the number of children and teenagers around the world diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since Covid, say researchers.

研究人员称，自新冠疫情发生以来，世界各地确诊1型糖尿病的儿童和青少年人数大增，这一现象很反常。

A new study in JAMA Network Open journal has collated available data from different countries on more than 38,000 young people diagnosed during the pandemic.

发表在《美国医学会杂志·网络开放》上的一项新研究从不同国家收集整理了超3.8万名在疫情期间确诊1型糖尿病的未成年患者的可用数据。

The authors describe the increase in cases of diabetes as "substantial".

研究作者称，患上1型糖尿病的未成年人数量“大幅”增加。

Before the pandemic, the incidence rate of childhood type 1 diabetes was already increasing - by about 3% a year.

在疫情前，1型糖尿病的儿童发病率已经在上升，每年增幅约为3%。

The recent study found: there was a 14% rise in the rate during the first year of the pandemic, compared to before Covid; in the second year of Covid, the rate was up about 27% on pre-pandemic levels.

这项新研究发现：疫情第一年1型糖尿病的儿童发病率相比疫情前上升了14%；疫情第二年，发病率相比疫情前上升了27%左右。

What is type 1 diabetes?

什么是1型糖尿病？

People with the condition have to closely monitor their blood sugar level and take insulin to control it because their body cannot do this automatically.

1型糖尿病患者必须密切监测血糖水平，并注射胰岛素来控制血糖水平，因为他们的身体无法自主调节。

That is because insulin-producing cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by the body's immune system.

这是因为患者体内的免疫系统误把胰腺中生成胰岛素的细胞消灭掉了。

It occurs in children and adults, but the causes are not fully known and there is currently no cure.

儿童和成年人都可能患上1型糖尿病，但是原因尚不完全清楚，目前也没有疗愈的办法。

What's behind the rise?

发病率为什么会增加？

Some scientists believe it is possible that lockdowns and physical distancing during Covid meant many children did not get sufficient exposure to germs and missed out on this additional protection.

一些科学家认为，这可能是因为疫情期间的封锁和隔离导致许多孩子没有充分接触细菌，从而失去了细菌带来的额外保护力。

Hilary Nathan, Policy Director at type 1 diabetes charity JDRFUK, urged people to look out for the symptoms of type 1 diabetes: tiredness, thirst, needing to go to the toilet to urinate more often, and weight loss or increasing thinness.

英国青少年糖尿病研究基金会（研究1型糖尿病的慈善机构）的政策主管希拉里·内森敦促人们注意1型糖尿病的症状：疲倦、口渴、排尿频率增加、体重下降或日渐消瘦。

"Knowing these signs and getting an early diagnosis and swift treatment can be life-saving," she said.

她说：“了解这些信号，早诊断早治疗可以挽救孩子的生命。”

英文来源：BBC