Type 1 diabetes is becoming more prevalent in the United States. A 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found a 30 percent increase in Type 1 diabetes in the previous two years, and scientists don’t know precisely why. Among the factors and hypotheses: genetics, weakened immune responses caused by improved hygiene, the possibility of a new virus or an increase in case reporting because of improved communication.
Stop washing your hands – challenge your immune system and give it a work out?
Regarding improved hygiene, I once read (can’t find it now) that “Tyvek wrap” and similar products used in modern homebuilding is a contributor to childhood asthma, which has grown 10X in recent decades. The theory is that wrapped houses, with much less airflow than older houses have, result in much less airborne particles (“dust”) floating around, and small children aren’t exposed to as much of it as they used to in previous decades. And that results in much higher sensitivity, which results in asthma in many kids.