COVID-19 and diabetes: self-care and religion

Abstract

The first epidemiological studies on covid-19 identified certain “risk groups,” individuals at higher risk of developing severe cases and dying from the disease. Among them are those living with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). For this group with diabetes, glycemic control was identified as one of the main forms of protection against severe cases of covid-19, which should include self-care through medication, diet, and physical activities. However, implementing these measures creates problematic fields in self-care, as well as restrictions and constraints on life and care production. During the pandemic, additional challenges were added to these, further complicating the daily lives of those already living with T2DM. This article presents part of the results from ethnographic research based on semi-structured interviews conducted by phone, analyzing the perspectives of people with T2DM on their self-care experiences during the pandemic. The analysis of the empirical data revealed how the pandemic affected different dimensions of the daily lives of people living with diabetes, with a particular focus in this article on selfcare and religion, revealing the presence of different “worldviews” and “cultural registers”.