The Difficulty Of Counting the COVID-19 Pandemic ’s Full Death Toll

Sara Wittner had seemingly gotten her life back under control. After a December relapse in her battle with drug addiction, the 32-year-old completed a 30-day detox program and started taking a monthly injection to block her cravings for opioids. She was engaged to be married, working for a local health advocacy group in Colorado, and counseling others about drug addiction. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The virus knocked down all the supports she had carefully built around her: no more in-person Narcotics Anonymous meetings, no talks over coffee with trusted friends or her addiction recovery sponsor. As the virus stressed hospitals and clinics, her next appointment for a monthly shot of medication was pushed back from 30 days to 45 days. As best her family could reconstruct from the messages on her phone, Wittner started using again on April 12, Easter Sunday, more than a week after her original appointment when she should have gotten her next injection. She couldn’t stave off the cravings any longer as she waited for her appointment that coming Friday. She used again that Tuesday and Wednesday. “We kind of know her thought process was that ‘I can make it. I’ll go get my shot tomorrow,’” says her father, Leon Wittner. “‘I’ve just got to get through this one more day and then I’ll be OK.’” But on that Thursday morning, the day before her appointment, her sister Grace Sekera found her curled up in bed at ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Source Type: news