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. The opioid epidemic has also been complicated by increasing use of methamphetamine in combination with opioids. It is likely that the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and subsequent disruptions in health care and social safety nets combined with social and economic stressors will fuel the opioid epidemic. Reports from national, state, and local media suggest that opioid-related overdoses are increasing, but the absence of real-time national reporting of overdose-related mortality limits the ability to confirm these reports.
Source: JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research