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Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York examined drug overdose (OD) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that OD deaths may be significantly underreported. The study examined OD deaths between 1996-2016. Among those individuals where no specific drug was reported as the cause of the OD, the researchers found that the number of opioid related deaths is likely 28% higher than first reported. The researchers also reported that five states – Indiana, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania – saw a doubling in the number of opioid deaths over a seven-year period when underreporting is taken into account. As opioid deaths are one of the main measurements of the burden of the opioid epidemic, it is critical that drug overdoses are accurately labeled and reported.
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Men who have sex with men (MSM) who use methamphetamine and are HIV positive have been found to have a significantly increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Public health scientists from the University of Miami in Florida and other universities have reported seeing this increased risk from their field work. They suggest that this increased risk of COVID-19 is due to weakened immune systems as a result of HIV, combined with immune system weakness caused by methamphetamine use. This makes it much easier for COVID-19 to penetrate the body’s defenses. A lack of social distancing when purchasing and using drugs was included as another possible cause. Additionally, men who seek out other male partners to gain access to meth and sex could cause COVID-19 clusters. Public health scientists recommend the utilization of telehealth methods to offer additional support to this population and make sure their healthcare needs are met during the pandemic.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Overdose Data Mapping Application (ODMAP) reports that deaths from overdoses are on the rise. From January to April 2020, there was a 16.6 percent increase in suspected overdoses compared to the same period of time in 2019. Fatal overdoses rose 11.4 percent over this time period and nonfatal overdoses saw an increase of 18.6 percent. When the ODMAP report was published (May 13), a similar trend was seen for the beginning of May, with overdose cases rising 8 percent during the first six days of May. The data from this report points to a connection between the COVID-19 pandemic and this significant increase in both fatal and nonfatal overdoses. The report also concluded that the rise in overdoses seen this year has outpaced previous projections that were based on historical data that did not account for the pandemic.
A review done by researchers at John Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore looked at Medicaid claims data from 2009-2015 in 16 states among youth who had survived an overdose. Their review found that more than two-thirds of young adults did not receive any substance use treatment in the 30 days after their opioid overdose. Additionally, only 29.3 percent of young adults in this review received some kind of behavioral health treatment 30 days after their opioid overdose. Of this 29.3 percent who got treatment following their overdose, fewer than 2 percent were prescribed one of the three approved medications for opioid use disorder paired with counseling. The researchers listed multiple explanations for why these percentages are so low: pediatricians may lack knowledge on opioid use disorder and effective treatment options for it, there are few substance use treatment facilities for youth, and stigma surrounding the use of medication to treat opioid use disorder.
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