The US covid pandemic has a sinister shadow—drug overdoses bmj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bmj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Overdose deaths accelerated as pandemic hit, CDC says, with record 80k dead in a 12-month span Print this article
The opioid epidemic has gotten worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data released by the Centers for Disease Control Thursday.
“The disruption to daily life due to the COVID-19 pandemic has hit those with substance use disorder hard,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield.
The CDC reported Thursday that, based on provisional data, over 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in the 12 months ending in May 2020. That is the largest number of opioid deaths in a 12-month span.