%A Tee,Louis Y. %A Alhamid,Sharifah Munirah %A Tan,Jeriel L. %A Oo,Theik Di %A Chien,Jaime %A Galinato,Primavera %A Tan,Seow Yen %A Humaira,Shafi %A Fong,Raymond Kok Choon %A Puar,Troy H. %A Loh,Wann Jia %A Santosa,Anindita %A Khoo,Joan %A Rosario,Barbara Helen %D 2020 %J Frontiers in Public Health %C %F %G English %K COVID - 19,Diabetes Mellitus,Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT),International migrant worker,Pre-diabetes (pre-DM) %Q %R 10.3389/fpubh.2020.584249 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2020-November-11 %9 Original Research %# %! COVID-19 & diabetes in migrant workers %* %< %T COVID-19 and Undiagnosed Pre-diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus Among International Migrant Workers in Singapore %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.584249 %V 8 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 2296-2565 %X Objective: Migrant workers, a marginalized and under-resourced population, are vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to limited healthcare access. Moreover, metabolic diseases—such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and hyperlipidemia—predispose to severe complications and mortality from COVID-19. We investigate the prevalence and consequences of undiagnosed metabolic illnesses, particularly DM and pre-diabetes, in international migrant workers with COVID-19.Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we analyzed the medical records of international migrant workers with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized at a tertiary hospital in Singapore from April 21 to June 1, 2020. We determined the prevalence of DM and pre-diabetes, and analyzed the risk of developing complications, such as pneumonia and electrolyte abnormalities, based on age and diagnosis of DM, and pre-diabetes.Results: Two hundred and fouty male migrant workers, with mean age of 44.2 years [standard deviation (SD), 8.5years], were included. Twenty one patients (8.8%) were diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and 19 (7.9%) with DM. DM was poorly controlled with a mean HbA1c of 9.9% (SD, 2.4%). 73.7% of the patients with DM and all the patients with pre-diabetes were previously undiagnosed. Pre-diabetes was associated with higher risk of pneumonia [odds ratio (OR), 10.8, 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.65–32.1; P < 0.0001], hyponatremia (OR, 8.83; 95% CI, 1.17–66.6; P = 0.0342), and hypokalemia (OR, 4.58; 95% CI, 1.52–13.82; P = 0.0069). Moreover, patients with DM or pre-diabetes developed COVID-19 infection with lower viral RNA levels.Conclusions: The high prevalence of undiagnosed pre-diabetes among international migrant workers increases their risk of pneumonia and electrolyte abnormalities from COVID-19.