The Covid-19 pandemic is unfortunately not yet behind us, especially with the more contagious Delta variant. In this context, many people living with diabetes are wondering if it is safe to return to school or work.
With respect to school, public health has developed measures to ensure a safe return to school. For more information, you can consult the Guidelines specific to education – Covid-19 page as well as the Questions and Answers on Education and the Family in the Context of Covid-19 on the Government of Quebec website.
For workplaces, as mentioned on the Return to Work page on the Government of Quebec website, although telecommuting is no longer mandatory, it is still strongly recommended when possible in order to limit contact. When returning to work or continuing to work in person, safety measures have been developed by sector of activity by the Commission des normes en santé et sécurité au travail (CNESST).
But what about people living with diabetes?
According to the Institut national en santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), people living with diabetes are considered vulnerable to Covid-19. They are not at greater risk of contracting the virus, but they may be at greater risk of complications if they do contract it, particularly if their diabetes is unbalanced, if they have microvascular complications (e.g., retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy) or if they have other health conditions that put them at risk (e.g., cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.).
However, since the main Covid-19 vaccines used in Quebec are at least 90% effective in preventing severe forms of Covid-19, health authorities say that adequately protected people living with diabetes (vaccinated with two doses) can return to work. This is if the safety measures required in the workplace are respected.
But what about people living with diabetes specifically?
According to the Institut national en santé publique du Québec (INSPQ), people living with diabetes are considered vulnerable to Covid-19. They are not at greater risk of contracting the virus, but they may be at greater risk of complications if they do contract it, particularly if their diabetes is unbalanced, if they have microvascular complications (e.g., retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy) or if they have other health conditions that put them at risk (e.g., cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.).
However, since the main Covid-19 vaccines used in Québec are at least 90% effective in preventing severe forms of Covid-19, health authorities say that adequately protected people living with diabetes (vaccinated with two doses) can return to work. This is if the safety measures required in the workplace are followed.
People living with diabetes who are not adequately protected can also return to work in the presence of low community transmission (yellow and green alert levels) if basic safety measures are followed. However, it is recommended that they be removed from the workplace in the presence of high community transmission (Red and Orange alert levels) if the recommended safety measures of distancing or physical separation cannot be achieved at all times.
It should be noted that regardless of vaccination status and community transmission, contact with infected or potentially infected individuals should always be eliminated for people living with diabetes.
To read the full INSPQ report and detailed recommendations, click here. The text on pages 16 and 17 and the box on page 21 contain most of the important points for people living with diabetes.
In all cases, the care team’s judgment in assessing the vulnerability of the person living with diabetes remains essential. So is following safety measures at all times.
To download this text in PDF format, click here.