'We need to consider the role that social isolation coupled with non-stop reporting on the pandemic may have on the feelings of desperation and hopelessness among those struggling with substance abuse.”
The National Institutes of Health says that people in recovery are facing new challenges while in isolation.
It's unclear whether the reports from local officials reflects a broader trend nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control was unable to provide national data on overdose deaths during the coronavirus crisis, but a spokesperson told ABC News its officials are “aware of the concerns involving COVID-19 and drug overdoses and that it could affect some populations with substance use disorders.”
While those suffering from heroin and opioid use disorder typically have to visit clinics on a daily basis to receive addiction treatment resources and medications like methadone, many facilities have been forced to restrict access or operate with reduced staffing. In an effort to assist those groups, the Department of Health and Human Services have relaxed rules that allowed substance users to take home as much as four weeks-worth of such medications.
An Ambulance medic holds used doses of naloxone after medics revived a man in his 40's who was found unresponsive from an opioid overdose in the Boston suburb of Salem, Mass., Aug. 9, 2017.Officials expressed concern, however, that the surge in Narcan use may not tell the full story regarding overdoses.
Further complicating the problem, some first responders are exhibiting greater caution when responding to emergency calls.
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