Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased COVID-19 severity. Little is understood about the needs, concerns and self-management experiences of people with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To examine the lived experiences of people with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This qualitative study recruited people with type 2 diabetes from the SOUth-London Diabetes (SOUL-D) cohort.
Semi-structured interviews via telephone were conducted between September 2020- January 2021. Deductive thematic analysis derived themes from the data to explore needs, concerns and self-management experiences of people with type 2 diabetes.
Twenty-nine people with type 2 diabetes were interviewed. Three themes with subthemes were outlined: 1) information needs of people with type 2 diabetes during the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) concerns about Covid-19 from people with type 2 diabetes; 3) diabetes self-management and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During a pandemic, there is a need for consistent, diabetes-specific, messaging from healthcare professionals for people with type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes need support to access digital resources to aid remote communication. Future research could help develop recourses to prevent social isolation and loneliness for people with type 2 diabetes during a pandemic.

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