Can we talk about the knock-on effects of #COVID19, yet?

Provisional counts for drug overdose deaths in the US show an 18% increase - primarily #opioid-related - from May 2019-May 2020... starting Aug '19, but largest increase in May '20

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm#dashboard
Multiple small studies back up these provisional national data.

The biggest increase in ODs was seen 1 month post-lockdown - likely due to decreased access to treatment, and increased synthetic opioids in the supply. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770985
The Opioid Epidemic During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Drug overdose deaths in the US increased in 2019, despite a slight decrease from 2017 to 2018; this increase was largely driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl.1 The opioid epidemic has also been...

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770985
We know that people's lives started changing *before* shutdowns happened, & continued changing *after* they were lifted.

This virus has disrupted every aspect of society. The most vulnerable have become more so. The inequities have been heightened.
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2020.0344
As @edyong209 has written, "Even if everything goes according to plan, which is a significant if, the horrors of 2020 will leave lasting legacies. " https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/pandemic-year-two/617528/
Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us

As vaccines roll out, the U.S. will face a choice about what to learn and what to forget.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/12/pandemic-year-two/617528/
It's time to invest in both tried-&-true (increase access to buprenorphine & naloxone) & novel ( #digitalhealth, get rid of the X-Waiver!) strategies, as we face the future. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/opioid-deaths-are-surging-in-the-pandemic-heres-how-treatment-is-adapting
Opioid deaths are surging in the pandemic. Here's how treatment is adapting

States across the country are reporting an increase in opioid-related fatalities. The pandemic means adopting new methods to provide treatment for drugs and alcohol.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/opioid-deaths-are-surging-in-the-pandemic-heres-how-treatment-is-adapting
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