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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the socio-economic fabric of the society globally. Educational institutions, including medical schools are no exception. It has caused wide-spread disruption to teaching and learning (T&L) activities and may impact the future of medical education worldwide.

Introduction: Despite advances in the management of diabetes, the rate of control of diabetes in the population remains modest. Perception of diabetes control is a key to patient empowerment. The aim of this study was to describe the perception of diabetes control among patient with poorly controlled diabetes. Materials and method: A cross sectional study was done involving 276 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the out-patient settings. After obtaining an informed consent, the socio-demography and medical history of each patient was recorded. Their most recent available blood investigations were documented. Patients were then asked on their perception of diabetes control whether it was excellent, moderate or poor. Analyses were descriptive and exploratory. Results: The median age of subjects was 56.0 (48.0,62.0) years old, with a median duration of diabetes of 8 (4,13) years. The median HbA1C was 9.5 (8.3,11.4)% with a fasting blood sugar of 9.7 (7.1,13.8) mmol/L. Despite having poor HbA1C, 28.4% of patients perceived that their diabetes control was excellent; 58.9% perceived moderate and only 12.7% accurately perceived poor control. The reverse relationship between perception of disease and education may indicate that other factors such as effective communication might need to be considered. The absence of association between perception and duration of diabetes may suggest that information given to patient over the years had poor impact on their understanding of disease control. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that there was presence of discordance between perception of diabetes control and HbA1C. Identifying the discordance between perception of diabetes control and HbA1C should be the first step in delivering a personalized diabetes education for patient.

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, a recurring annual ritual, which is passionately practiced by most Muslims across the world. It is obligatory on every healthy Muslim; however, the Qur’an and Islamic teachings specifically exempt people with acute or chronic illnesses from this duty, especially if it might have harmful consequences. Muslims with diabetes are exempted from fasting, but many of them still fast during Ramadan, for their personal convictions as revealed by EPIDIAR study which showed that 43% of patients with type 1 diabetes and 79% with type 2 diabetes fasted during Ramadan. Muslims constitute about a quarter of the world’s population who are spread all over the globe. It is inevitable that health care issues peculiar to them will be encountered worldwide and health care providers will have to counsel them regarding medications and whether it is safe to undertake the fast. This paper is an update on the management of Ramadan fasting based on current evidence from published literature and expert opinions.