Just about everybody played tag when they where kids, it’s a fun game that even adults jump into sometimes. I have no clue where this fun game began but it is often used as an analogy to educate people how disease spreads within a population. As an kid not knowing any better, we touch everything no matter where it came from - it’s a vital part of immune system education 101 but as adults we are taught to wash our hands and limit physical contact. I am not here to list all the diseases, viruses or other effects that are easily transmissible by day to day contact but one thing is for sure, neither type 1 diabetes nor type 2 diabetes are contagious.
Although nobody really knows exactly what causes somebody to “get” diabetes, it does have a strong genetic and environmental influence. For instance, you’re more likely to have diabetes if your family has a history of this disease, are over 40 years old or live in an environment conducive to risk factors such as obesity.
Next time your kid wants to play tag with somebody suffering from diabetes, don’t worry- they can’t catch it.
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