 Since early 2020, scientists have discovered much about COVID-19, how it develops, how it spreads and how to fight it, but much more remains to be learned, as millions of individuals are still at risk of contracting the disease. Researchers at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait are working to understand the risks COVID-19 poses for people living with diabetes. With nearly one in five people in Kuwait diagnosed with diabetes, researchers at DDI are uniquely positioned to explore the intersection of COVID and diabetes, and provide recommendations that could help save lives. Research has shown that people with diabetes mellitus, severe obesity, heart disease and hypertension are more likely to become infected with and die from COVID-19. In fact, among elderly patients who are at higher risk of death from the disease, more than a quarter have diabetes mellitus. While the reasons for this increased risk aren't entirely clear, researchers at DDI are exploring various possible factors. One is the increased expression of proteins that enable the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to gain a foothold in the body. For example, high expression of the protein H2 in the lungs, kidney, heart and pancreas is believed to enhance binding of the coronavirus. Close to home, researchers at the DDI are also looking at the clinical characteristics and outcomes common among patients in Kuwait, affected by both COVID-19 and diabetes. One study showed that compared with patients without diabetes, patients with diabetes had a higher rate of admission to ICUs, higher mortality, a higher prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension and a higher incidence of complications. In addition, clinical data from Jabba Hospital argue for strict glucose management on admission, as even a small increase within the normal range of fasting blood glucose was associated with a substantial increase in risk of ICU admission for COVID-19 patients. DDI is also leading a multi-center clinical trial to test whether the diabetes drug Pyoglitazone brand name GLaDOS can improve symptoms of COVID-19. In addition to improving glycemic control in patients with diabetes, GLaDOS suppresses inflammation and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. These properties could help reduce the severity of symptoms in patients with COVID-19. As vaccines against COVID-19 become more widely available, the effects on people with diabetes require close attention. These individuals have an immune system characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation that can make their response to vaccination different from that of healthy people. To better understand this issue, DDI has designed a prospective study to measure immune cells and molecules and coronavirus antibodies in vaccinated people with these morbidities and compare them with those of healthy people. As more data pours in, researchers at the Daswan Diabetes Institute are learning more about the risks and complications that people with diabetes face amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The insights gained at home and abroad could help patients and clinicians around the globe better prepare for those risks and develop more effective treatment plans.