According to recent researches, people with diabetes mellitus
(type 1 and 2) have a higher incidence of coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19), which is caused by a SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this regard,
COVID-19 may make diabetic patients more sensitive to hyperglycemia by
modifying the immunological and inflammatory responses and increasing
reactive oxygen species (ROS) predisposing the patients to severe
COVID-19 and potentially lethal results. Actually, in addition to
COVID-19, diabetic patients have been demonstrated to have abnormally
high levels of inflammatory cytokines, increased virus entrance, and
decreased immune response. On the other hand, during the severe stage of
COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2-infected patients have lymphopenia and
inflammatory cytokine storms that cause damage to several body organs
such as β cells of the pancreas which may make them as future diabetic
candidates. In this line, the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway,
which is activated by a number of mediators, plays a substantial part in
cytokine storms through various pathways. In this pathway, some
polymorphisms also make the individuals more competent to diabetes via
infection with SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, during hospitalization of
SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, the use of some drugs may unintentionally
lead to diabetes in the future via increasing inflammation and stress
oxidative. Thus, in this review, we will first explain why diabetic
patients are more susceptible to COVID-19. Second, we will warn about a
future global diabetes tsunami via the SARS-CoV-2 as one of its
long-term complications.