The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Opioid Epidemic: A Statewide Analysis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the opioid epidemic, which has been increasing over the past decade. The increase in opioid-involved deaths have coincided with fentanyl use, and a combination of drugs. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic opioid-involved deaths have increased greater than 30% in the U.S. The COVID-19 mandates, including stay-at-home orders, has had a detrimental impact on opioid and drug abuse, and association mortality.This paper describes a statewide study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and opioid and drug-involved deaths. Data was acquired from the Louisiana Department of Health for 2018, 2019, and 2020. The percent increase statewide in opioid-involved deaths was 115.9% from 2018 through 2020. When the data is stratified by race, non-Hispanic Blacks had a 163.6% increase in opioid-involved deaths, which was 15% higher than in non-Hispanic Whites. The increase in opioid-involved deaths was similar in males and females. Statewide drug-involved deaths increased 59%, with a 107.5% increase in non-Hispanic Blacks compared to 44.4% in non-Hispanic Whites. Again, the increase in males and females was the same. The trends seen statewide was seen among the study parishes, with a few exceptions.The study has observed the magnitude of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic in Louisiana. These results were seen across the U.S. It is important to not lose sight or emphasis of the opioid epidemic, which has been increasing over the last decade.