How Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Are Joining the COVID-19 Fight

In response to healthcare workers asking for safer ways to monitor hospitalized diabetes patients with COVID-19, FDA is allowing both Dexcom and Abbott to supply continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for use in the hospital setting during the pandemic. This allows frontline healthcare workers in hospitals to remotely monitor patients with diabetes in order to minimize exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 and preserve use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Abbott said it has partnered with the American Diabetes Association, Insulin for Life USA, and the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition to donate 25,000 FreeStyle Libre 14-day sensors to U.S. hospitals and medical centers in outbreak hotspots to help accelerate access to the technology. According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50% of people with diabetes who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 are hospitalized. In an email to MD+DI, Dexcom said it has been working closely with FDA for weeks to make real-time CGM temporarily available for in-hospital use. The company said it will manufacture 100,000 sensors for hospitalized coronavirus patients and will donate more than 10,000 phones and receivers. Both Dexcome and Abbott's CGM systems use wearable sensors to continuously measure and send glucose levels wirelessly to a receiver or compatible smart device. These systems reduce the need for fingersticks, which is the standard i...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Source Type: news