The Philadelphia Pediatric Diabetes Registry (PPDR) began in 1985 and is the only registry in northeastern United States that provides data regarding the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in children.   The data were included in the WHO Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes (Diabetes Mondiale, DiaMond Study) with the goal of collecting standard worldwide information on incidence, risk factors, and mortality associated with T1D.  In the PPDR, cases are identified via electronic health record [MT1] for all newly diagnosed cases of T1DM and T2DM in children 0-14 years old, including data on sex, date of diagnosis, and race/ethnicity.  The registry has identified a high rate of T1DM in Hispanic children of Puerto Rican origin, markedly high incidence in non-Hispanic lack children, a doubling of incidence in children 0-4 years over the course of the registry. It also identified an epidemic of T1DM in Philadelphia following a measles epidemic, demonstrating how diabetes registries provide a mechanism to track the impact of infectious diseases.  The COVID-19 pandemic has generated many questions regarding whether the virus could trigger the onset or worsen the course of diabetes.  Data will be discussed on the association of COVID-19 virus/ pandemic with new onset T1D and T2D in children, the association of COVID-19 virus/ pandemic with diabetic ketoacidosis and metabolic decompensation, and the mechanism of impact of the COVID-19 virus on the course of diabetes. Many studies have been published on epidemics of diabetes, yet few have been derived from population-based registries. More research is needed to identify the causes of the rising incidence of T1D and T2D in children and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes.

Dr. Terri Lipman is a Professor Emerita at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and a Researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Her research is focused on racial disparities in the treatment and outcomes of children with diabetes- with an emphasis on addressing social determinants of health.