By analysing non-identifiable electronic health records of millions of patients in the US, NIDA found that patients with a substance use disorder constituted 10.3% of the total study population – but 15.6% of the Covid-19 cases. So those who care for people with addiction are urged have action plans in place “to help shield them from infection and severe outcomes”.
People with a SUD diagnosis were also more likely to experience worse Covid-19 outcomes (hospitalisation, death), than people without a SUD. “The lungs and cardiovascular system are often compromised in people with SUD, which may partially explain their heightened susceptibility to Covid-19,” said explained NIDA director Nora Volkow. “And marginalisation of people with addiction makes it harder for them to access health care services.”
