We learn something new every day from the T1D Exchange Online Community’s Question of the Day responses.

Here’s what we learned from the 3 most popular questions of January 2022:

Which of the following options best describes your primary insulin delivery method (the one you use most) and your most recent A1c? (Note: 7% is equivalent to 53 mmol/mol)

January’s most answered Question of the Day highlighted a consistent pattern of the rate of A1cs below 7% within different insulin delivery methods in our community. Overall, the respondents to this question include 20% multiple daily injections (MDI) users, 31% non-automated insulin pump users, 46% automated insulin delivery (AID) system users, 1% inhaled insulin users, and 1% “other” users.

Within those groups, the percentages of people who reported A1cs below 7% are the following:

  • MDI users: 74% (84 out of 113 people)
  • Non-automated insulin pump: 77% (129 out of 168 people)
  • AID system: 74% (187 out of 253 people)
  • Inhaled insulin: 100% (3 out of 3 people)
  • Other: 100% (5 out of 5 people)

Here are some of the comments with the highest engagement from the community:

  • “Most recent A1c was 7 percent which was exactly where my Endo. wants me to be. Am 90 years of age with Type One now for over 75 years.”
  • “Went back to MDI from Omnipod. A1c last week was 5.6. Right now so happy to be off pumps. Was on Medtronic before the pods. Crazy that insurance covered my pump and insulin and supplies under Part B but have a co-pay under Part D. $35 month and need two pens so $70. Makes no sense to me.”
  • “Me: Insulin pump (not automated) – A1c below 7%
    Except it’s A1C below 6, usually!”
  • “Interesting looking at the results in so far, but there appears to be a clear pattern emerging. Good question.”
  • “There is no such thing as a Closed Loop System! It’s a Hybrid System that only supply’s Insulin, no Glucagon. My Tandem X2 pump and I use Control IQ. Which doesn’t work fast or really well except Sleep and Activity Modes. I am Disappointed. (I have been a T1D for over 55 years and on a Pump for over 39 years, along with both Medtronic and Dexcom CGMs for over 9 years.)”


How many doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have you (or your loved one with T1D) received?

The second most answered Question of the Day from January 2022 was asked to get a better idea of whether people with T1D are vaccinating against COVID-19 at a rate similar to the general U.S. population. Based on data from the CDC, respondents to this question are getting vaccinated at much higher rates than the CDC reports, with 79% of our community having received 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and another 12% having received 2 doses.

T1D Exchange has published many studies about the adverse outcomes of COVID-19 in people with T1D, and we are grateful to those who shared their firsthand experiences in response to this question.

Here are some thoughts that our community members shared:

  • “All I can think of is that poem of the day:
    No vaccine,
    How obscene.”
  • “Those not vaccinating increase their chance of hospital admission, ICU stay, or death 10-20 fold. They also provide prime cannon fodder for new variants. Their ‘choice’ greatly increases the chance that others do not receive non-COVID care in a timely way because hospitals are being over-run by those getting presentably sick w COVID. No room at the inn…so that ‘choice’ endangers their community, especially the vulnerable among us, like those > 75 yo, transplant patients, people with immune deficiencies from cancers, etc. Those who are vaccinated are very unlikely to be admitted or die w COVID, are less likely to spread COVID to the vulnerable in the community, their community.
    As an HCP, I have lost 4 patients to COVID, all w diabetes, all unvaccinated (before there was vaccine available), one was 42. I have seen 2 others with life-changing bad outcomes- all pre vaccine. I have also seen lots of patients get COVID and recover or have minimal symptoms. That’s the roll of the dice. I have an unvaccinated patient right now fighting for life, likely from the delta variant, told by another MD not to vaccinate——– The 3000-4000 a day COVID deaths in winter 2021 were a tragedy. The 1500 COVID deaths a day this winter are a travesty. This was preventable.”
  • “Hospitalization rates for vaccinated people getting Omicron look to be a tiny fraction of those who are not vaccinated. Vaccines don’t prevent infection directly, because that is a matter of exposure. Vaccines prevent or reduce illness– so they greatly reduce serious illness, hospital stays, and deaths.”


If you use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), on a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you with the accuracy of your CGM? (1 = least satisfied, 5 = most satisfied)

This Question of the Day showed a moderate satisfaction with the accuracy of CGMs, with “4” being the most selected option with 42% of responses. An additional 38% of respondents selected “5”, bringing the total of people who rated their CGM’s accuracy a 4 or a 5 to 80%.

Here are some comments that resonated with the community:

  • “I use Dexcom G6, when it’s working (majority of the time), it’s great: no finger sticks, lots of data on which to base insulin dosing/corrections. The problem: is it’s bad just enough to create confidence issues and question/verify lows/highs with finger sticks. Plus, the first 12-14 hours are just a crap shoot whether it’s accurate or not. And, lately (been using one year), the last day or so has become questionable. In the year I’ve used, I’ve replaced 7 sensors and one transmitter because they failed to operate decently; that’s about 50 days worth of sensors and 30 days of transmitters, a failure rate of 13.6% and 8.2% respectively. Much better than continual finger sticks, but not an enviable statistical failure rate. Far better than what was in past years, but it needs significant reliability improvement.”
  • “Answered 4, G6. Most sensors are close to perfect with little variance in location placed. Occasionally a sensor will not calibrate or settle in, so 4 rating. BUT I am quite satisfied overall!”
  • “I feel the CGM is very accurate and I no longer do finger sticks unless something seems WAY off.”

Thank you to every member of the T1D Exchange Online Community for sharing your experiences. If you are not already a member of our Online Community, join us by clicking the “Join” button in your upper right corner!