· Effect of Diabetes on COVID-19 mortality in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a retrospective cohort study

This study at Eka Kotebe Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, examined the impact of diabetes on COVID-19 mortality. We conducted a matched-retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted with COVID-19. We compared severity markers and outcomes to determine the risk of death in patients with diabetes compared to matched controls. We used descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Poisson regression. In a univariate comparison, a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Ethics approval was obtained from the Eka Kotebe Hospital Institutional Ethics Committee. The study involved 284 patients, with a 1:1 proportion of diabetics and non-diabetics. Results showed that diabetic patients had a higher number of severe and critical cases but did not have a higher mortality rate. Mortality was associated with malignancy, HIV, and a lymphocyte count <1000/µL.