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Blouin K, Blanchette C, Leclerc P, Morissette C, Vallée M, Diabaté S. HIV and HCV seroincidence, associated factors and drug use in people who inject drugs, SurvUDI network, eastern central Canada, 1995-2020. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024:104483. [PMID: 38880701 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SurvUDI network is a biobehavioural survey among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Eastern Central Canada. OBJECTIVES The objectives were to describe HIV and HCV seroincidence trends, associated factors and changes in drug use behaviours. METHODS The network was initiated in 1995 and targets hard-to-reach, mostly out-of- treatment PWID. Participants were recruited mostly in harm reduction programs, completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire, provided a sample of gingival exudate for HIV and HCV antibody testing and were identified using an encrypted code allowing identification of multiple participations. Time trends were examined for HIV and HCV seroincidence, selected characteristics and behaviours. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine factors associated to HIV and HCV seroincidence. RESULTS Between January 1995 and March 2020, 15,907 individuals have completed 31,051 questionnaires. HIV seroincidence decreased significantly from 5.0 per 100 person-years (p-y) in 1995 to 0.4 per 100 p-y in 2018. HCV seroincidence also decreased significantly between 1998 and 2011. The use of syringes already used by someone else decreased significantly, from 43.4 % in 1995 to 12.4 % in 2019, as well as the use of equipment other than syringe already used by someone else. Cocaine/crack injection decreased significantly while "opioids other than heroin" injection increased, concomitant to daily injection. Injection with syringes already used by someone else and cocaine as the most often injected drug were significantly associated with HIV seroincidence (1995-2020). Injected opioid other than heroin, injected cocaine/crack, injected 100 or more times in the past month, injected for less than 3 years, injected with syringes or equipment already used by someone else, injected with someone else and reported client sex partners were significantly associated with HCV seroincidence (2004-2020). CONCLUSION HIV seroincidence and syringe/equipment sharing behaviour trends are encouraging, but HCV seroincidence remains high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Blouin
- Unité sur les infections transmissibles sexuellement et par le sang, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, Canada; École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada; Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
| | - Caty Blanchette
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Pascale Leclerc
- Direction régionale de Santé Publique - CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Carole Morissette
- Direction régionale de Santé Publique - CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Maud Vallée
- Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Sainte-Anne de Bellevue, Canada
| | - Souleymane Diabaté
- Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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Mitra S, Bouck Z, Larney S, Zolopa C, Høj S, Minoyan N, Upham K, Rammohan I, Mok WY, Hayashi K, Milloy MJ, DeBeck K, Scheim A, Werb D. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who use drugs in three Canadian cities: a cross-sectional analysis. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:94. [PMID: 38750575 PMCID: PMC11097551 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00996-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs (PWUD) in Canada. However less is known about jurisdictional commonalities and differences in COVID-19 exposure and impacts of pandemic-related restrictions on competing health and social risks among PWUD living in large urban centres. METHODS Between May 2020 and March 2021, leveraging infrastructure from ongoing cohorts of PWUD, we surveyed 1,025 participants from Vancouver (n = 640), Toronto (n = 158), and Montreal (n = 227), Canada to describe the impacts of pandemic-related restrictions on basic, health, and harm reduction needs. RESULTS Among participants, awareness of COVID-19 protective measures was high; however, between 10 and 24% of participants in each city-specific sample reported being unable to self-isolate. Overall, 3-19% of participants reported experiencing homelessness after the onset of the pandemic, while 20-41% reported that they went hungry more often than usual. Furthermore, 8-33% of participants reported experiencing an overdose during the pandemic, though most indicated no change in overdose frequency compared the pre-pandemic period. Most participants receiving opioid agonist therapy in the past six months reported treatment continuity during the pandemic (87-93%), however, 32% and 22% of participants in Toronto and Montreal reported missing doses due to service disruptions. There were some reports of difficulty accessing supervised consumption sites in all three sites, and drug checking services in Vancouver. CONCLUSION Findings suggest PWUD in Canada experienced difficulties meeting essential needs and accessing some harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can inform preparedness planning for future public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjana Mitra
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | - Zachary Bouck
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Sarah Larney
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Département de Médecine Famille et de Médicine d'Urgence, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Camille Zolopa
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Stine Høj
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Katie Upham
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Indhu Rammohan
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
| | - Wing Yin Mok
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - M-J Milloy
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
- Division of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kora DeBeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Ayden Scheim
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada
- Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 1T8, Canada.
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, United States.
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Makarenko I, Minoyan N, Bordier Høj S, Udhesister S, Martel-Laferrière V, Jutras-Aswad D, Larney S, Bruneau J. Determinants of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic among people who use drugs in Montreal, Canada. Drug Alcohol Rev 2024. [PMID: 38741361 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Limited data exists on psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among people who use drugs (PWUD). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of severe psychological distress (PD) among PWUD in Montreal around the beginning of the pandemic. METHODS We conducted a rapid assessment study from May to December 2020 among PWUD recruited via a community-based cohort of people who inject drugs in Montreal (Hepatitis C cohort [HEPCO], N = 128) and community organisations (N = 98). We analysed self-reported data on changes in drug use behaviours and social determinants since the declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency, and assessed past-month PD using the Kessler K6 scale. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to examine correlates of PD distress (score ≥13). RESULTS Of 226 survey participants, a quarter (n = 56) were screened positive for severe PD. In multivariable analyses, age (1-year increment) (adjusted odds ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [0.90, 0.98]) and a decrease in non-injection drug use versus no change (0.26 [0.07, 0.92]) were protective against severe PD, while positive associations were found for any alcohol use in the past 6 months (3.73 [1.42, 9.78]), increased food insecurity (2.88 [1.19, 6.93]) and both moving around between neighbourhoods more (8.71 [2.63, 28.88]) and less (3.03 [1.18, 7.74]) often compared to no change. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This study documented a high prevalence of severe PD among PWUD during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-COVID-19 data. Social determinants such as food insecurity and mobility issues, alongside demographic and substance use-related factors, were linked to distress. Evidence-based risk mitigation strategies for this population could reduce negative consequences in future pandemics or disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iuliia Makarenko
- Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stine Bordier Høj
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Sasha Udhesister
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Valérie Martel-Laferrière
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Infectiology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sarah Larney
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de Recherche, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
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Skaathun B, Strathdee SA, Shrader CH, Nacht CL, Borquez A, Artamonova I, Harvey-Vera A, Vera CF, Rangel G, Ignacio C, Woodworth B, Chaillon A, Vasylyeva TI. HIV-1 transmission dynamics among people who inject drugs on the US/Mexico border during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prosepective cohort study. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2024; 33:100751. [PMID: 38711788 PMCID: PMC11070707 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2024.100751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Background We examined HIV prevalence and transmission dynamics among people who inject drugs in the U.S./Mexico border region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods People who inject drugs aged ≥18 years from 3 groups were recruited: people who inject drugs who live in San Diego (SD) and engaged in cross-border drug use in Tijuana, Mexico (SD CBDUs), and people who inject drugs in SD and Tijuana (TJ) who did not engage in cross-border drug use (NCBDUs). We computed HIV prevalence at baseline and bivariate incidence-density rates (IR) at 18-month follow-up. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was used to identify local transmission clusters, estimate their age, and effective reproductive number (Re) over time within the clusters. Findings At baseline (n = 612), 26% of participants were female, 9% engaged in sex work, and HIV prevalence was 8% (4% SD CBDU, 4% SD NCBDU, 16% TJ NCBDU). Nine HIV seroconversions occurred over 18 months, IR: 1.357 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 0.470, 2.243); 7 in TJ NCBDU and 2 in SD CBDU. Out of 16 identified phylogenetic clusters, 9 (56%) had sequences from both the U.S. and Mexico (mixed-country). The age of three youngest mixed-country dyads (2018-2021) overlapped with the COVID-related US-Mexico border closure in 2020. One large mixed-country cluster (N = 15) continued to grow during the border closure (Re = 4.8, 95% Highest Posterior Density (HPD) 1.5-9.1) with 47% engaging in sex work. Interpretation Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the border closure, cross-border HIV clusters grew. Efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. should take into account cross-border HIV-1 transmission from Tijuana. Mobile harm reduction services and coordination with municipal HIV programs to initiate anti-retroviral therapy and pre-exposure prophylaxisis are needed to reduce transmission. Funding This research was supported by the James B. Pendleton Charitable Trust and the San Diego Center for AIDS Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Skaathun
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Steffanie A. Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Cho-Hee Shrader
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, 116th and Broadway, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Carrie L. Nacht
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Annick Borquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Irina Artamonova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
- U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, Paseo del Centenario 10851, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana, Tijuana, BC 22320, Mexico
| | - Carlos F. Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, Paseo del Centenario 10851, Zona Urbana Rio Tijuana, Tijuana, BC 22320, Mexico
- El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Carretera Escenica Tijuana-Ensenada Toll Boot Escenica Tijuana-Ensenada Sn San Antonio del Mar, Tijuana, BC 22560, Mexico
| | - Caroline Ignacio
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Brendon Woodworth
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Antoine Chaillon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Tetyana I. Vasylyeva
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, United States
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Bragg K, Albus M, Bragg B, M Beste R, V Simon L. Evaluation of the Functionality in an Emergency Department Setting of an Intravenous Protection Device to Prevent Self-Injection. MEDICAL DEVICES-EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH 2024; 17:135-142. [PMID: 38529519 PMCID: PMC10961239 DOI: 10.2147/mder.s451439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The United States has an opioid abuse crisis that has been increasing exponentially since 2013. In 2021, there were 220 deaths each day from opioid overdoses in the United States alone. Patients suffering from addiction often present to the emergency department (ED) anticipating that an intravenous (IV) catheter will be placed. This catheter is then accessible for patients to self-inject illicit drugs while under medical care or elope from the facility with the IV in place to self-inject. The misuse of medical IV access is a potential source of prolonged hospitalizations and fatal overdoses nationwide. On two separate occasions, patients were found dead in our ED bathroom after overdosing by accessing their IV site for self-injection. These events prompted the development of the IV SafeLock prototype. The IV SafeLock is designed to prevent intravenous access by the patient while allowing access by specified providers to administer medications. This study aims to investigate prototype usability and functionality by nursing staff in the ED. Methods A prospective study was performed with twenty ED nurses in a clinical trial to use the IV SafeLock in the clinical setting. Each nurse was given two months to complete an evaluation of 20 patients requiring IV access. They used the IV SafeLock on infusion ports and Intermittent Needle Therapy (INT) access sites. A Likert scale was used to measure the ease of function and use of the IV SafeLock. Results and conclusion The nurses felt that the IV SafeLock was easy to use and achieved its function of protecting the intravenous access site from self-injection. The IV SafeLock prototypes used in the trial were easy to use and functioned as intended most of the time. The IV SafeLock can be used by nursing staff in a clinical setting to help prevent self-injection. Clinical Trial Registration NCT05695183 enrolled 01/12/2023.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Bragg
- Emergency Department, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Michael Albus
- Emergency Department, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Bradley Bragg
- Emergency Department, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | | | - Leslie V Simon
- Emergency Department, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
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Nygaard-Christensen M. "More Concerned About Mr. and Mrs. Denmark": Coping with Pandemic Crisis at the Intersection of Homelessness and Drug Use. Med Anthropol 2024; 43:17-30. [PMID: 37831438 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2023.2266860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
This article builds on fieldwork conducted during lockdown in Denmark among users of services at the intersection of homelessness and drug use. The paper bridges two distinct approaches to understanding the relation between marginalization and crisis, with one focused on the impact of "big events" on marginalized populations, and another on everyday strategies employed to survive situations of homelessness and drug use. The paper shows how past experiences of hardship became relevant for coping with pandemic crisis. It further exploreshow, through critical engagement with dominant accounts of vulnerability, research participants carved out a space for negotiating their marginality in the Danish welfare state.
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Vashisht S, Jha S, Kant S, Thakur N, Rai S. Challenges Faced and Coping Strategies Adopted by Injecting Drug Users during COVID-19 Lockdown-A Qualitative Study. Indian J Community Med 2023; 48:846-851. [PMID: 38249706 PMCID: PMC10795882 DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_649_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the lives of vulnerable population, including the injecting drug users (IDUs). The objective of the study was to document the coping mechanism adopted by IDUs and suggest measures to mitigate the adverse effects, if similar situation were to arise in future. Materials and Methods A qualitative study was conducted at the Targeted Intervention Non-Government Organizations catering to IDUs in Delhi and Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Four focus group discussions among 41 IDUs and 7 key informant interviews of the NGO staff were conducted in the study. The Hindi recordings were coded and the data analysis was performed manually using grounded theory approach. Results We found that the lockdown affected the lives of most of the IDUs and they found it difficult to access the harm reduction services. To cope with this, many IDUs started following alternate methods to support the drug habits. There was an increase in reuse of needles and syringes. Conclusion The lockdown during COVID-19 and the resulting challenges negatively impacted the physical and mental health of the IDUs. We recommend that in any similar future scenario, travel pass may be issued to the IDUs and the TI-NGO personnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruti Vashisht
- Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shreya Jha
- Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Shashi Kant
- Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Nishakar Thakur
- Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Sanjay Rai
- Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Yang H, Li Y, Xu M, Hu Y, Yuan F, Liu L, Li L, Yuan D, Ye L, Zhou C, Zhang Y, Su L, Liang S. The Update of HIV-1 Prevalence and Incidence and Spatio-Temporal Analyses of HIV Recent Infection Among Four Sub-Groups in Sichuan, China During Surveillance Period Between 2016 and 2022. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:6535-6548. [PMID: 37814665 PMCID: PMC10560476 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s428744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sichuan Province has gradually become a hot-spot for HIV/AIDS. Little is known about the HIV-1 incidence and prevalence among four sub-groups since 2015. Meanwhile, the distributions of hot-spot areas related to recent infection cases that indicate current transmission among the four subgroups are also rare. Objective The main purpose of this study was to assess the HIV-1 prevalence and incidence and to visualize the distributions of hot-spot areas of current transmission among four subgroups (people who inject drugs, male STD clinic attendees, female sex workers and men who had sex with men) during the surveillance period in Sichuan province between 2016 and 2022. Results Of the 267,617 individuals, 2158 HIV-positive samples were tested with Lag-Avidity EIA, among which 493 samples were identified as recent infections. Among people who inject drugs (PWID), both HIV-1 prevalence (from 1.41% to 0.34%) and incidence (from 0.03% to 0.140%) showed a significant decreasing trend. Among men who had sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSWs), and male STD clinic attendees, HIV-1 prevalence indicated significant decreasing trends, whereas HIV-1 incidence showed no significant changes. Spatial analysis demonstrated the formation of hot-spots and clusters of current transmissions sharing regional differences, mainly concentrated in the southeast, and most of these were consecutive hot-spots. Conclusion The prevention and control were efficacious and persistent. However, among the other three subgroups, there is a need for a regional cooperative in prevention and control approaches and collaborative research in many aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yang
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiping Li
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mengjiao Xu
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Hu
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fengshun Yuan
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lunhao Liu
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ling Li
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Yuan
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Ye
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chang Zhou
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ling Su
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shu Liang
- Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China
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Høj SB, Minoyan N, Zang G, Larney S, Bruneau J. Gender, sexual orientation identity, and initiation of amphetamine injecting among people who inject drugs: Examination of an expanding drug era in Montreal, Canada, 2011-19. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 251:110956. [PMID: 37716286 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amphetamine injection is expanding in North America and has been associated with male homosexuality among people who inject drugs (PWID). Applying subcultural evolution theory, we examined overall and gender-stratified trends in amphetamine injection and assessed sexual orientation as a gender-specific predictor of initiation among PWID in Montreal, Canada. METHODS Data were from HEPCO, an open prospective cohort of PWID. Gender and sexual orientation were self-identified at enrolment. Interviewer-administered questionnaires at three-monthly (HCV RNA-negative participants) or yearly (RNA-positive) intervals captured past three-month amphetamine injection and covariates. Annual prevalence and linear trends in amphetamine injection were estimated using GEE. Incidence was computed among naïve individuals and hazard ratios for initiation estimated using gender-stratified, time-varying Cox regression models. RESULTS 803 participants contributed 8096 observations between March 2011 and December 2019. Annual prevalence of amphetamine injecting increased from 3.25% [95%CI: 2.06-4.43%] to 12.7% [9.50-16.0] (trend p<0.001). Bivariate Cox regression models suggested similar and divergent predictors of initiation by gender. Incidence was 3.27 per 100 person-years [95%CI: 2.51-4.18] among heterosexual men, 7.18 [3.50-13.2] among gay/bisexual men, 1.93 [0.78-4.02] among heterosexual women and 5.30 [1.69-12.8] among gay/bisexual women. Among men, gay/bisexual identity doubled risk of initiation after adjusting for age, ethnicity, calendar year (aHR 2.16 [1.07-4.36]) and additional covariates (2.56 [1.24-5.30]). Among women, evidence for an association with gay/bisexual identity was inconclusive (aHR 2.63 [0.62-11.2]) and sample size precluded further adjustment CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of amphetamine injection among PWID increased four-fold from 2011 to 2019, with elevated risk of initiation in gay and bisexual men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stine Bordier Høj
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada.
| | - Nanor Minoyan
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, 7101 Avenue du Parc, Montreal H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Geng Zang
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Sarah Larney
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada.
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10
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Friedman SR, Smyrnov P, Vasylyeva TI. Will the Russian war in Ukraine unleash larger epidemics of HIV, TB and associated conditions and diseases in Ukraine? Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:119. [PMID: 37658448 PMCID: PMC10472698 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00855-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Russian war in Ukraine poses many risks for the spread of HIV, TB and associated conditions, including possible increases in the numbers of people who inject drugs or engage in sex work in the years ahead. Ukrainian civil society and volunteer efforts have been able to maintain and at times expand services for HIV Key Populations. The extent of mutual-aid and volunteer efforts as well as the continued strength and vitality of harm reduction organizations such as the Alliance for Public Health and the rest of civil society will be crucial resources for postwar efforts to assist Key Populations and prevent the spread of HIV, TB and other diseases. The postwar period will pose great economic and political difficulties for Ukrainians, including large populations of people physically and/or psychically damaged and in pain who might become people who inject drugs. Local and international support for public health and for harm reduction will be needed to prevent potentially large-scale increases in infectious disease and related mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tetyana I Vasylyeva
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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11
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Lechuga J, Ramos R, Dickson-Gomez J, Beachy S, Perez G, Nevola O, Varela A, Ramos ME, Sauceda J, Ludwig-Barrron N, Salazar J. Institutional violence from police militarization and drug cartel wars as a 'Big Event' and its influence on drug use harms and HIV risk in people who inject drugs on the U.S.-Mexico border. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 119:104125. [PMID: 37499305 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, the US-Mexico Border is one of the largest drug trafficking regions, with Ciudad Juarez (CJ) and El Paso (EP) making up the second-largest border crossing in the world. Border communities are places where the risk of drug use harm and infectious diseases such as HIV are augmented due to the confluence of factors operating across the physical, social, economic and policy environment. Although the two cities are economically, culturally, and socially intertwined, each has distinct criminal justice systems and policy practices aimed at curtailing substance use. Between 2008 and 2011, the CJ/EP region experienced an unprecedented level of violence that stemmed from the intersection of police militarization and drug cartel wars, which profoundly shaped every aspect of life. Little research has documented the impact of drug cartel wars on the drug use and health harms of people who inject drugs (PWID) living in CJ and EP. The purpose of the study is to understand the effect that the drug cartel war had on the drug use harms and HIV risk of PWID. METHODS We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with people who inject drugs who resided in CJ or EP and had used heroin or crack cocaine in the last 30 days, and asked how police militarization and drug cartel war affected their daily lives. The risk environment framework informed the analysis and interpretation of findings. RESULTS Findings indicated that the risk environment was profoundly altered as PWID residing in CJ experienced profound changes in their daily lives that promoted engagement in behaviors that increased drug use and health harms including HIV risk, exacerbated trauma, and prevented use of substance use treatment and harm reduction services. The risk environment was also altered in EP, where PWID experienced drug supply shortages, violent policing practices, and reduced availability of harm reduction services. Findings underscore the permeability of risk environments across geographical borders. CONCLUSION The intersection of law enforcement militarization and drug cartel wars can be conceptualized as a 'big event' because it disrupts the drug market economy, leads to drug shortages, promotes entrance into the drug market economy by people who use drugs, reshapes drug use sites, and constrains the provision of harm reduction services. The stability of the harm reduction system in CJ was negatively impacted and limited the ability of individuals to reduce harm. Our findings show that drug cartel wars render the CJ/EP region extremely susceptible to drug use and health harms, while also creating vulnerability by severely restricting its ability to respond. Traditional recommendations to intervene to limit the impact of risk environments on the drug use harms of PWID need to be reconsidered in the context of drug cartel wars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Lechuga
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States.
| | - Rebeca Ramos
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | | | - Sara Beachy
- Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA, United States
| | - Gilberto Perez
- Texas State Health Department, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Alan Varela
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | | | - John Sauceda
- The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | | | - Jorge Salazar
- The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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12
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Rathnayake K, Agius PA, Ward B, Hickman M, Maher L, Stoové M, Doyle JS, Hellard M, Wilkinson A, Quinn B, Crawford S, Sutton K, Dietze P. The impacts of COVID-19 measures on drug markets and drug use among a cohort of people who use methamphetamine in Victoria, Australia. Addiction 2023; 118:1557-1568. [PMID: 36918365 PMCID: PMC10953406 DOI: 10.1111/add.16189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Few studies of the impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health measures on drug markets and drug use patterns have used longitudinal data. We aimed to examine whether COVID-19 measures were associated with increases in methamphetamine price, decreases in methamphetamine use frequency and subsequent changes in secondary outcomes of other drug use frequency in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. DESIGN Longitudinal analysis framework was used from a longitudinal cohort of people who use methamphetamine. SETTING Victoria state, Australia. PARTICIPANTS One hundred eighty-five VMAX study participants who reported a methamphetamine purchase after the onset of the pandemic were used for the price paid analysis. Methamphetamine or other drug use frequency analysis was performed using 277 participants who used methamphetamine during the pandemic or in the year before the pandemic. MEASUREMENTS Price paid per gram of methamphetamine derived from the most recent purchase price and most recent purchase quantity. Frequency of methamphetamine and other drug use measured as the average number of days per week used in the last month. FINDINGS Compared with pre-COVID-19 period, methamphetamine prices increased by AUD351.63 (P value <0.001) and by AUD456.51 (P value <0.001) in Melbourne and regional Victoria, respectively, during the period in which the most intense public health measures were implemented in Victoria. Although prices decreased after harder restrictions were lifted (by AUD232.84, P value <0.001 and AUD263.68, P value <0.001, in Melbourne and regional Victoria, respectively), they remained higher than pre-COVID-19 levels. A complementary 76% decrease was observed in relation to methamphetamine use frequency in regional Victoria (P value = 0.006) that was not offset by any changes in the frequency of use of other drugs such as alcohol, tobacco or other illicit drugs. CONCLUSION COVID-19 public health measures in Victoria state, Australia, appear to have been associated with major price changes in the methamphetamine market and decreased frequency of use of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul A. Agius
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Faculty of HealthDeakin UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Bernadette Ward
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Rural HealthMonash UniversityBendigoVictoriaAustralia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical SchoolUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Lisa Maher
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Kirby InstituteUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Mark Stoové
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Joseph S. Doyle
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThe Alfred HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Margaret Hellard
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Department of Infectious DiseasesThe Alfred HospitalMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Doherty InstituteUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Melbourne School of Population and Global HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | - Brendan Quinn
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- Australian Institute of Family StudiesMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
| | | | - Keith Sutton
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Rural HealthMonash UniversityBendigoVictoriaAustralia
| | - Paul Dietze
- Burnet InstituteMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Public Health and Preventive MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
- School of Rural HealthMonash UniversityBendigoVictoriaAustralia
- National Drug Research Institute Melbourne OfficeCurtin UniversityMelbourneVictoriaAustralia
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13
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Nygaard-Christensen M, Søgaard TF. What's in Stock? Drug drought anticipation during COVID-19 among people who use drugs and service providers. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 117:104048. [PMID: 37182349 PMCID: PMC10165055 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As with other areas of life, drug markets have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. This article examines how structurally vulnerable people who use drugs (PWUD) experienced and adapted to changes in street drug markets caused by lockdown measures. METHODS The article builds on ethnographic fieldwork in two Danish cities in 2020, including in-depth interviews with 22 PWUD, and interviews with 20 service providers, including low-threshold service providers and outreach workers. RESULTS The most consistently reported effect of lockdown measures on local drug markets related to increases in cannabis prices. Accounts of changes in drug availability varied greatly, with some participants reporting changing availability while others described the situation as similar to pre-lockdown conditions. Rather than a long-term drug shortage, changes reported by participants related to the anticipated disruption of local markets and drug scarcity, restrictions in access to cash and sellers seeking to capitalize on the crisis. CONCLUSION Although no long-term drug scarcity was seen, the anticipation of a shortage was sufficient to impact on local drug market dynamics. Heterogeneity in PWUDs' experiences of access to drug markets during lockdown can to some degree be explained in terms of their varied embeddedness in social networks. While local markets proved resilient to lockdown measures, PWUD less embedded in social networks were more vulnerable to shifts in drug availability and to sellers' over-pricing of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maj Nygaard-Christensen
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Friis Søgaard
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Bartholins Alle 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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14
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Stringfellow EJ, Lim TY, DiGennaro C, Hasgul Z, Jalali MS. Enumerating contributions of fentanyls and other factors to the unprecedented 2020 rise in opioid overdose deaths: model-based analysis. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad064. [PMID: 37020497 PMCID: PMC10069612 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
In 2020, the ongoing US opioid overdose crisis collided with the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Opioid overdose deaths (OODs) rose an unprecedented 38%, due to a combination of COVID-19 disrupting services essential to people who use drugs, continued increases in fentanyls in the illicit drug supply, and other factors. How much did these factors contribute to increased OODs? We used a validated simulation model of the opioid overdose crisis, SOURCE, to estimate excess OODs in 2020 and the distribution of that excess attributable to various factors. Factors affecting OODs that could have been disrupted by COVID-19, and for which data were available, included opioid prescribing, naloxone distribution, and receipt of medications for opioid use disorder. We also accounted for fentanyls' presence in the heroin supply. We estimated a total of 18,276 potential excess OODs, including 1,792 lives saved due to increases in buprenorphine receipt and naloxone distribution and decreases in opioid prescribing. Critically, growth in fentanyls drove 43% (7,879) of the excess OODs. A further 8% is attributable to first-ever declines in methadone maintenance treatment and extended-released injectable naltrexone treatment, most likely due to COVID-19-related disruptions. In all, 49% of potential excess OODs remain unexplained, at least some of which are likely due to additional COVID-19-related disruptions. While the confluence of various COVID-19-related factors could have been responsible for more than half of excess OODs, fentanyls continued to play a singular role in excess OODs, highlighting the urgency of mitigating their effects on overdoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Stringfellow
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tse Yang Lim
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- MIT Sloan School of Management, 100 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Catherine DiGennaro
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- MIT Sloan School of Management, 100 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zeynep Hasgul
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Mohammad S Jalali
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- MIT Sloan School of Management, 100 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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15
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Patel EU, Astemborski J, Feder KA, Rudolph JE, Winiker A, Sosnowski DW, Kirk GD, Mehta SH, Genberg BL. Temporal association of pre-pandemic perceived social support with psychological resilience and mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic among people with a history of injection drug use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 244:109802. [PMID: 36774804 PMCID: PMC9908589 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are limited data on whether modifiable social factors foster psychological resilience and mental well-being among people who use drugs following Big Events. We examined the temporal association of pre-pandemic perceived social support with psychological resilience and negative mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among people with a history of injection drug use. METHODS Between June and September 2020, we conducted a telephone survey among 545 participants in the AIDS Linked to the IntraVenous Experience (ALIVE) study: a community-based cohort of adults with a history of injection drug use. Leveraging data from study visits in 2018-early 2020, associations of pre-pandemic perceived social support with psychological resilience scores (range=1-5) and the probability of negative mental health symptoms during the pandemic were assessed using multivariable linear and modified Poisson regression models, respectively. RESULTS Participants' median age was 58 years, 38.2% were female, 83.3% identified as Black, and 30.3% were living with HIV. During the pandemic, 14.5% had low (<3) resilience scores, 36.1% experienced anxiety, and 35.8% reported increased loneliness. Compared to participants in the lowest tertile of pre-pandemic social support, participants in the highest tertile had higher mean resilience scores (β = 0.27 [95% CI = 0.12, 0.43]), a lower probability of anxiety (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.71 [95% CI = 0.52, 0.96]), and a lower probability of increased loneliness (PR = 0.62 [95% CI = 0.45, 0.84]). CONCLUSIONS Pre-pandemic perceived social support was associated with greater psychological resilience and generally better mental well-being during the pandemic. Interventions that improve social support may foster psychological resilience and protect the mental well-being of people who use drugs, especially during periods of social disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshan U Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jacquie Astemborski
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth A Feder
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jacqueline E Rudolph
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abigail Winiker
- Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David W Sosnowski
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gregory D Kirk
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shruti H Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Becky L Genberg
- Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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16
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Price O, Man N, Sutherland R, Bruno R, Dietze P, Salom C, Agramunt S, Grigg J, Degenhardt L, Peacock A. Disruption to Australian heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy markets with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 113:103976. [PMID: 36822010 PMCID: PMC9932690 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.103976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Changes to drug markets can affect drug use and related harms. We aimed to describe market trends of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy in Australia following the introduction of COVID-19 pandemic-associated restrictions. METHODS Australians residing in capital cities who regularly inject drugs (n ∼= 900 each year) or regularly use ecstasy and/or other illicit stimulants (n ∼= 800 each year) participated in annual interviews 2014-2022. We used self-reported market indicators (price, availability, and purity) for heroin, crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy crystal to estimate generalised additive models. Observations from the 2014-2019 surveys were used to establish the pre-pandemic trend; 2020, 2021 and 2022 observations were considered immediate, short-term and longer-term changes since the introduction of pandemic restrictions. RESULTS Immediate impacts on market indicators were observed for heroin and methamphetamine in 2020 relative to the 2014-2019 trend; price per cap/point increased (β: A$9.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.25-17.1 and β: A$40.3, 95% CI: 33.1-47.5, respectively), while perceived availability (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] for 'easy'/'very easy' to obtain: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.24-0.59 and aOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.03-0.25, respectively) and perceived purity (aOR for 'high' purity: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.23-0.54 and aOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.20-0.54, respectively) decreased. There was no longer evidence for change in 2021 or 2022 relative to the 2014-2019 trend. Changes to ecstasy and cocaine markets were most evident in 2022 relative to the pre-pandemic trend: price per gram increased (β: A$92.8, 95% CI: 61.6-124 and β: A$24.3, 95% CI: 7.93-40.6, respectively) and perceived purity decreased (aOR for 'high purity': 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.35 and 0.57, 95% CI: 0.36-0.90, respectively), while ecstasy was also perceived as less easy to obtain (aOR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.35). CONCLUSION There were distinct disruptions to illicit drug markets in Australia after the COVID-19 pandemic began; the timing and magnitude varied by drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Price
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Nicola Man
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rachel Sutherland
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Raimondo Bruno
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caroline Salom
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Seraina Agramunt
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Jodie Grigg
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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Friedmann PD, Dunn D, Michener P, Bernson D, Stopka TJ, Pivovarova E, Ferguson WJ, Rottapel R, Hoskinson R, Wilson D, Evans EA. COVID-19 impact on opioid overdose after jail release in Massachusetts. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2023; 6:100141. [PMID: 36879616 PMCID: PMC9968665 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2023.100141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Release from incarceration is a high-risk period for opioid overdose. Concern about COVID-19 spread in jails led to early releases; it is unknown whether pandemic era releases of persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) contributed to increases in community overdose rates. Methods Observational data compared overdose rates three months after release among jailed persons with OUD released before (9/1/2019-3/9/2020) and during the pandemic (3/10/2020-8/10/2020) from seven jails in Massachusetts. Data on overdoses come from the Massachusetts Ambulance Trip Record Information System and Registry of Vital Records Death Certificate file. Other information came from jail administrative data. Logistic models regressed overdose on release period, controlling for MOUD received, county of release, race/ethnicity, sex, age, and prior overdose. Results Pandemic releases with OUD had a higher risk of fatal overdose (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.06; 95% CI, 1.49 to 6.26); 20 persons released with OUD (1.3%) experienced a fatal overdose within three months of release, versus 14 (0.5%) pre-pandemic. MOUD had no detectable relationship with overdose mortality. Pandemic release did not impact non-fatal overdose rates (aOR 0.84; 95% CI 0.60 to 1.18), though in-jail methadone treatment was protective (aOR 0.34; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.67). Conclusions Persons with OUD released from jail during the pandemic experienced higher overdose mortality compared to pre-pandemic, but the number of deaths was small. They did not experience significantly different rates of non-fatal overdose. Early jail releases during the pandemic were unlikely to explain much, if any, of the observed increase in community overdoses in Massachusetts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Friedmann
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate and Baystate Health, Office of Research, 3601 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01107 USA
| | - Devon Dunn
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Population Health - Special Analytic Projects, 250 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 USA
| | - Pryce Michener
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Dana Bernson
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Population Health - Special Analytic Projects, 250 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 USA
| | - Thomas J Stopka
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111 USA
| | - Ekaterina Pivovarova
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Warren J Ferguson
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Rebecca Rottapel
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655 USA
| | - Randall Hoskinson
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate and Baystate Health, Office of Research, 3601 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01107 USA
| | - Donna Wilson
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School - Baystate and Baystate Health, Office of Research, 3601 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01107 USA
| | - Elizabeth A Evans
- Department of Health Promotion and Policy, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 312 Arnold House, 715 North Pleasant St, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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18
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Doshi S, Kingston H, Tseng AS, Chohan BH, Sambai B, Guthrie BL, Monroe-Wise A, Mbogo LW, Masyuko S, Tram KH, Sinkele W, Macharia P, Bukusi D, Herbeck JT, Farquhar C. SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence, correlates, and access to harm reduction services among people who inject drugs living with and without HIV and their partners in Kenya. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:21. [PMID: 36823596 PMCID: PMC9947430 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00754-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa many people who inject drugs (PWID) are living with undiagnosed or untreated HIV and experience high levels of poverty and conditions that can contribute to worse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Identifying the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection in marginalized populations like PWID may contribute to controlling the pandemic. METHODS This is a nested cross-sectional study within an ongoing cohort study that recruits PWID living with HIV and their injecting and/or sexual partners at needle and syringe program sites and methadone clinics in Kenya. Blood samples were collected from consenting participants at enrollment to determine SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a Platellia BioRad SARS-CoV-2 total antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Baseline data were collected on HIV status, antiretroviral therapy and methadone adherence. We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with antibody positivity and descriptive statistics to report SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence. RESULTS One thousand participants were enrolled between April and July 2021, of whom 323 (32.3%) were women and 677 (67.7%) were men. Median age of participants was 36 years (interquartile range: 30, 42). SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity was found in 309 (30.9%) participants. Disruption in obtaining methadone service was reported by 106 (24.3%) of the participants. Men were significantly less likely than women to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51, 0.95; p < 0.01) Participants who reported a sexual or injecting partner diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 were twofold more likely to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected (aOR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.06, 4.58; p < 0.032). Living with HIV was not associated with presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. CONCLUSION The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 of 30.9% in this cohort suggests high transmission rates within this population. SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was similar for people living with and without HIV. A large portion of this population was noted to have had disruption in access to harm reduction services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shradha Doshi
- Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Hanley Kingston
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ashley S Tseng
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bhavna H Chohan
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Betsy Sambai
- University of Washington-Global Assistance Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Brandon L Guthrie
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Aliza Monroe-Wise
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Loice W Mbogo
- University of Washington-Global Assistance Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sarah Masyuko
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Khai Hoan Tram
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William Sinkele
- Support for Addiction Prevention and Treatment in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Paul Macharia
- University of Washington-Global Assistance Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Joshua T Herbeck
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carey Farquhar
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- University of Washington-Global Assistance Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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19
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Torres-Leguizamon M, Favaro J, Coello D, Reynaud EG, Néfau T, Duplessy C. Remote harm reduction services are key solutions to reduce the impact of COVID-19-like crises on people who use drugs: evidence from two independent structures in France and in the USA. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:1. [PMID: 36611167 PMCID: PMC9823260 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00732-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Harm Reduction (HR) policies for People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) have a significant positive impact on their health. Such approaches limit the spread of infections and reduce opioid overdose mortality. These policies have led to the opening of specialized structures located mainly in big cities and urbanized zones. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced access to HR structures in locations undergoing lockdown. Before the pandemic, HR services in France and in the USA were complemented by the development of remote HR programs: HaRePo (Harm Reduction by Post) for France, implemented in 2011, and NEXT Distro for the USA founded in 2017. These programs are free and specifically designed for people who have difficulties accessing HR tools and counseling in-person. PWUD can access HaRePo program by phone and/or email. NEXT Distro users can access the program through its dedicated website. The aim of the study is to test if and possibly how COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns have impacted the HR services in both countries. METHODS By using t-test comparing the year 2019 with the year 2020, we analyzed how lockdowns impacted the number of new users entering the programs, as well as the numbers of parcels sent and naloxone distributed, by using records of both structures. RESULTS We showed that the activity of both programs was significantly impacted by the pandemic. Both show an increase in the number of new users joining the programs (+ 77.6% for HaRePo and + 247.7% for NEXT Distro) as well as for the number of parcels sent per month (+ 42.7% for HaRePo and + 211.3% for NEXT Distro). It shows that remote HR was able to partially compensate for the reduced HR activities due to COVID-19. We also observed that the distribution of naloxone per parcel tends to increase for both structures. CONCLUSION With the ability to reach PWUD remotely, HaRePo and NEXT Distro were particularly effective at maintaining service continuity and scaling up services to meet the needs of PWUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. By studying two independent structures in France and in the USA sharing similar objectives (remote HR), we showed that this approach can be a key solution to crises that impact classical HR structures despite various differences in operating procedures between countries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emmanuel G. Reynaud
- grid.7886.10000 0001 0768 2743School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas Néfau
- SAFE, 11 Avenue de la Porte de la Plaine, 75015 Paris, France
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20
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Rhodes T, Kyaw KWY, Harris M. Precarious Lives, Precarious Treatments: Making Drug Treatment Work in Northern Myanmar. Med Anthropol 2023; 42:4-20. [PMID: 36306464 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2022.2133706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We explore how precarious livelihoods intersect with precarious treatments for heroin dependency in a setting affected by longstanding conflicts and an illicit drug economy as well as by recent events of pandemic and political change. Working with 33 qualitative interviews with people who inject drugs in Kachin State, northern Myanmar, we explore how drug dependency treatment, especially methadone substitution, is made to work in efforts to sustain everyday livelihoods. Our analysis attends to the work that is done to enable therapeutic trajectories to emerge as "generous constraints" in precarity. We trace methadone substitution as an emergent intervention of livelihood survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Rhodes
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Khine Wut Yee Kyaw
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Magdalena Harris
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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21
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Leonhardt MM, Spartz JR, Shankar A, Murphy SA. Fatal drug use in the COVID-19 pandemic response: Changing trends in drug-involved deaths before and after stay-at-home orders in Louisiana. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1117841. [PMID: 37113181 PMCID: PMC10126274 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1117841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of disaster events on increasing drug-involved deaths has been clearly shown in previous literature. As the COVID-19 pandemic led to stay-at-home orders throughout the United States, there was a simultaneous spike in drug-involved deaths around the country. The landscape of a preexisting epidemic of drug-involved deaths in the United States is one which is not geographically homogenous. Given this unequal distribution of mortality, state-specific analysis of changing trends in drug use and drug-involved deaths is vital to inform both care for people who use drugs and local policy. An analysis of public health surveillance data from the state of Louisiana, both before and after the initial stay-at-home order of the COVID-19 pandemic, was used to determine the effect the pandemic may have had on the drug-involved deaths within this state. Using the linear regression analysis of total drug-involved deaths, as well as drug-specific subgroups, trends were measured based on quarterly (Qly) deaths. With the initial stay-at-home order as the change point, trends measured through quarter 1 (Q1) of 2020 were compared to trends measured from quarter 2 (Q2) of 2020 through quarter 3 (Q3) of 2021. The significantly increased rate of change in Qly drug-involved deaths, synthetic opioid-involved deaths, stimulant-involved deaths, and psychostimulant-involved deaths indicates a long-term change following the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in the delivery of mental health services, harm reduction services, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), treatment services, withdrawal management services, addiction counseling, shelters, housing, and food supplies further limited drug-involved prevention support, all of which were exacerbated by the new stress of living in a pandemic and economic uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell M. Leonhardt
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
- *Correspondence: Maxwell M. Leonhardt
| | - John R. Spartz
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Arti Shankar
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Stephen A. Murphy
- Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
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22
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Rijnink A, Blake D, Groot S, Brough C. Accessing needle exchange services in disasters for remote areas of Aotearoa New Zealand. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:145. [PMID: 36544156 PMCID: PMC9771773 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00709-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Needle Exchange Programme (NEP) mobile outreach services in Aotearoa New Zealand distribute injecting equipment to people who inject drugs (PWID) living in remote regions. In disasters, continued access to such services is imperative for the health and wellbeing of PWID. Disasters can compound existing inequities, particularly in regions characterised by poor or limited infrastructure, smaller populations, and challenging socioeconomic conditions. To gain insight into the barriers that prevent access to NEP harm-reduction services and understand the needs of PWID prior to and during disasters, this study foregrounds the voices of PWID based on the West Coast of the South Island, Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS This qualitative study applied an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach, where 14 PWID and one key NEP staff member took part in semi-structured interviews. The interviews provided the opportunity for participants to share their experiences and perspectives about accessing sterile drug-injecting equipment during disasters, including the four-week COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown in March 2020. In total five superordinate and 14 subordinate themes were identified from the interveiws. RESULTS This study focuses on four of the key themes that impacted accessibility to NEP services: infrastructural hazards and equipment costs; social capital and practical support from peers and key contact networks; social stigma in public locations, including NEP-based pharmacies and emergency centres; and potential solutions to NEP equipment accessibility as frequently suggested by participants. CONCLUSIONS Access to NEP services is essential during natural hazard and human-generated disasters, as such NEP mobile outreach services and disaster resilience efforts should focus on maintaining service continuity for PWID during adverse times. This study champions a needs-based, stigma free approach to inclusive harm-reduction and emergency management practices for groups with specific needs in a disaster context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Rijnink
- grid.148374.d0000 0001 0696 9806School of Psychology, Massey University, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Denise Blake
- grid.267827.e0000 0001 2292 3111School of Health, Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Shiloh Groot
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
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23
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Zolopa C, Brothers TD, Leclerc P, Mary JF, Morissette C, Bruneau J, Hyshka E, Martin NK, Larney S. Changes in supervised consumption site use and emergency interventions in Montréal, Canada in the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic: An interrupted time series study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 110:103894. [PMID: 36308892 PMCID: PMC9574459 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted supervised consumption site (SCS) operations in Montréal, Canada, potentially including changes in SCS visits, on-site emergency interventions, injection of specific drugs, and distribution of harm reduction materials. METHOD We used administrative data from all four Montréal SCS from 1 March 2018 - 28 February 2021 to conduct an interrupted time series study with 13 March 2020 as the intervention point. We employed segmented regression using generalised least squares fit by maximum likelihood. We analysed monthly SCS visits and materials distributed as counts, and emergency interventions and drugs injected as proportions of visits. RESULTS SCS visits (level change = -1,286; 95% CI [-1,642, -931]) and the proportion of visits requiring emergency intervention (level = -0.27% [-0.47%, -0.06%]) decreased immediately in March 2020, followed by an increasing trend in emergency interventions (slope change = 0.12% [0.10%, 0.14%]) over the ensuing 12 months. Over the same period, the proportion of injections involving opioids increased (slope = 0.05% [0.03%, 0.07%]), driven by increasing pharmaceutical opioid and novel synthetic opioid injections. Novel synthetic opioids were the drugs most often injected prior to overdose. The proportion of injections involving unregulated amphetamines increased immediately (level = 7.83% [2.93%, 12.73%]), then decreased over the next 12 months (slope = -1.86% [-2.51%, -1.21%]). There was an immediate increase in needle/syringe distribution (level = 16,552.81 [2,373, 30,732]), followed by a decreasing trend (slope = -2,398 [-4,218, -578]). There were no changes in pre-existing increasing trends in naloxone or fentanyl test strip distribution. CONCLUSION Reduced SCS use and increasing emergency interventions at SCS are cause for serious concern. Findings suggest increased availability of novel synthetic opioids in Montréal, heightening overdose risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Zolopa
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Thomas D Brothers
- Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 6299 South St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada; UCL Collaborative Centre for Inclusion Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Pl., London, WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Pascale Leclerc
- Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS), 1560 rue Sherbrooke E, Montréal, Québec H2L 4M1, Canada
| | | | - Carole Morissette
- Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS), 1560 rue Sherbrooke E, Montréal, Québec H2L 4M1, Canada; Direction régionale de santé publique, 1560 rue Sherbrooke Est, Pavillon JA de Sève, Montréal, Québec, H2L 4M1, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Emergency and Family Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 blvd Edouard Montpetit, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Elaine Hyshka
- School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Alberta, 11405 87th ave NW, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9, Canada
| | - Natasha K Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, United States
| | - Sarah Larney
- Centre de recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 rue St-Denis, Montréal, Québec H2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Emergency and Family Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 blvd Edouard Montpetit, Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Anzac Parade, Kensington NSW 2052, Australia.
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24
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Spencer S, Hedden L, Vaughan C, Marshall EG, Lukewich J, Asghari S, Gill P, Buote R, Meredith L, Moritz L, Ryan D, Mathews M. "It was horrible for that community, but not for the way we had imagined": A qualitative study of family physicians' experiences of caring for communities experiencing marginalisation during COVID-19. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2022; 2:100176. [PMID: 36248310 PMCID: PMC9536327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2022.100176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 response required family physicians (FPs) to adapt their practice to minimise transmission risks. Policy guidance to facilitate enacting public health measures has been generic and difficult to apply, particularly for FPs working with communities that experience marginalisation. Our objective was to explore the experiences of FPs serving communities experiencing marginalisation during COVID-19, and the impact the pandemic and pandemic response have had on physicians' ability to provide care. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with FPs from four Canadian regions, October 2020 through June 2021. We employed maximum variation sampling and continued recruitment until we reached saturation. Interviews explored participants' roles/experiences during the pandemic, and the facilitators and barriers they encountered in continuing to support communities experiencing marginalisation throughout. We used a thematic approach to analyse the data. FPs working with communities experiencing marginalisation expressed the need to continue providing in-person care throughout the pandemic, often requiring them to devise innovative adaptations to their clinical settings and practice. Physicians noted the health implications for their patients, particularly where services were limited or deferred, and that pandemic response policies frequently ignored the unique needs of their patient populations. Pandemic-related precautionary measures that sought to minimise viral transmission and prevent overwhelming acute care settings may have undermined pre-existing services and superseded the ongoing harms that are disproportionately experienced by communities experiencing marginalisation. FPs are well placed to support the development of pandemic response plans that appreciate competing risks amongst their communities and must be included in pandemic planning in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Spencer
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Lindsay Hedden
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada,Corresponding author. Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6 Canada
| | - Crystal Vaughan
- Faculty of Nursing, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Emily Gard Marshall
- Department of Family Medicine Primary Care Research Unit, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3T4, Canada
| | - Julia Lukewich
- Faculty of Nursing, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Shabnam Asghari
- Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Paul Gill
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, M5G 1V7, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health, 74 Kingston Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 3K4, Canada
| | - Richard Buote
- Department of Family Medicine Primary Care Research Unit, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3T4, Canada
| | - Leslie Meredith
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Department of Family Medicine, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6G 2M1, Canada
| | - Lauren Moritz
- Department of Family Medicine Primary Care Research Unit, Dalhousie University, 1465 Brenton Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 3T4, Canada
| | - Dana Ryan
- Faculty of Nursing, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1B 3V6, Canada,Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Department of Family Medicine, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6G 2M1, Canada
| | - Maria Mathews
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Department of Family Medicine, Western University, 1465 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6G 2M1, Canada
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25
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Bancroft A, Parkes T, Galip I, Matheson C, Crawshaw E, Craik V, Dumbrell J, Schofield J. Negotiating an Illicit Economy in the Time of COVID-19: Selling and Buying Dilemmas in the Lives of People Who Use Drugs in Scotland. CONTEMPORARY DRUG PROBLEMS 2022; 49:369-384. [PMID: 36312792 PMCID: PMC9597153 DOI: 10.1177/00914509221122704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The impact of COVID-19 itself and societal responses to it have affected people who use drugs and the illicit drug economy. This paper is part of a project investigating the health impacts of COVID-19 related control measures on people who use drugs in Scotland. It examines their roles and decisions as economically situated actors. It does this within a moral economy perspective that places economic decisions and calculations within a context of the network of social obligations and moral decisions. The paper uses a mixed methods approach, reporting on a drug trend survey and in-depth interviews with people who use drugs. It finds they were affected by restrictions in the drug consumption context and changes in the supply context, both in terms of what was supplied and changes in the relationship between sellers and buyers. Face to face selling became more fraught. Participants in more economically precarious circumstances were faced with dilemmas about whether to move into drug selling. The double impact of loss of income and reduced access to support networks were particularly difficult for them. Despite the perception that the pandemic had increased the power of sellers in relation to their customers, many full-time sellers were reported to be keeping their prices stable in order to maintain their relationships with customers, instead extending credit or adulterating their products. The effect of spatial controls on movement during the pandemic also meant that the digital divide became more apparent. People with good access to digital markets and easy drug delivery through apps were in a better position to manage disruption to drug sales contexts. We make recommendations in relation to how policy can respond to the interests of people who use drugs in a pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angus Bancroft
- The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Angus Bancroft, Sociology, University of
Edinburgh, 18 Buccleuch Place, 4.05, Edinburgh EH8 9JS, United Kingdom.
| | - Tessa Parkes
- University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Idil Galip
- The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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26
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Conway A, Treloar C, Crawford S, Grebely J, Marshall AD. People engaged in opioid agonist treatment as a counterpublic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: A qualitative study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2022; 42:203-212. [PMID: 36054577 PMCID: PMC9538012 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT) are at higher risk of comorbidities, poverty and discrimination, which Big Events like the COVID-19 pandemic may exacerbate. The behaviours of people receiving OAT do not always align with normative behaviours as conceived by ruling institutions and laws, and so the group becomes a counterpublic, not imagined in mainstream public discourse. The aim of this study was to understand how people receiving OAT, as a counterpublic, implemented practises of care to mitigate negative health outcomes during COVID-19. METHODS Participants were recruited via eight peer-led organisations across Australia. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were completed between August and December 2020 with 40 people receiving OAT. The analysis centres practises of care, allowing interactions that influence the health of participants, to be understood in their unique contexts. RESULTS Aspects of the COVID-19 state response were designed for an idealised public, demonstrated by the increased policing that accompanied enforcement of restrictions which was detrimental to the wellbeing of people receiving OAT. Counterpublic health strategies employed by people receiving OAT were disrupted, but participants were often able to adapt to the changing context. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study elucidates how practises of care among people receiving OAT are enacted and disrupted during a Big Event, with implications beyond the COVID-19 pandemic for future Big Events. The study findings evidence the need for policies that mitigate the impact of Big Events such as supporting re-groupment within the counterpublic, legitimising counterpublic health strategies and stopping the criminalisation of people who use drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia,Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
| | | | | | - Alison D. Marshall
- The Kirby InstituteUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia,Centre for Social Research in HealthUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
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27
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Vo AT, Patton T, Peacock A, Larney S, Borquez A. Illicit Substance Use and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States: A Scoping Review and Characterization of Research Evidence in Unprecedented Times. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19148883. [PMID: 35886734 PMCID: PMC9317093 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
We carried out a scoping review to characterize the primary quantitative evidence addressing changes in key individual/structural determinants of substance use risks and health outcomes over the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US). We systematically queried the LitCovid database for US-only studies without date restrictions (up to 6 August 2021). We extracted quantitative data from articles addressing changes in: (a) illicit substance use frequency/contexts/behaviors, (b) illicit drug market dynamics, (c) access to treatment and harm reduction services, and (d) illicit substance use-related health outcomes/harms. The majority of 37 selected articles were conducted within metropolitan locations and leveraged historical timeseries medical records data. Limited available evidence supported changes in frequency/behaviors/contexts of substance use. Few studies point to increases in fentanyl and reductions in heroin availability. Policy-driven interventions to lower drug use treatment thresholds conferred increased access within localized settings but did not seem to significantly prevent broader disruptions nationwide. Substance use-related emergency medical services’ presentations and fatal overdose data showed a worsening situation. Improved study designs/data sources, backed by enhanced routine monitoring of illicit substance use trends, are needed to characterize substance use-related risks and inform effective responses during public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anh Truc Vo
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Thomas Patton
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (T.P.); (A.B.)
| | - Amy Peacock
- National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - Sarah Larney
- Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada;
| | - Annick Borquez
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (T.P.); (A.B.)
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Muller A, Akiyama MJ, Riback L, Nyakowa M, Musyoki H, Cherutich P, Kurth A. Impact of COVID-19 on substance use disorder treatment services in Kenya: Qualitative findings from healthcare providers. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 105:103710. [PMID: 35580533 PMCID: PMC9106529 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs are at an increased risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 and have experienced barriers to accessing harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how to best provide these services is essential for COVID-19 mitigation. The goal of this study was to ascertain challenges and successes for caring for people who inject drugs in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We conducted focus group discussions and one-on-one key informant interviews with healthcare providers who work with people who inject drugs in Kenya. Interviews explored how COVID-19 and social distancing measures impacted service provision, as well as what strategies were used to overcome these barriers. We used thematic analysis to analyze transcribed interviews. RESULTS Participants included 29 service providers from 11 healthcare professions at three medication assisted treatment (MAT) and four drop-in center (DIC) sites (N=15 males and N=14 females, with an average age of 35 years). Four overarching themes emerged in our thematic analysis in which providers described both barriers to providing care and solutions to overcome them: (1) COVID-19-related misconceptions; (2) Limited COVID-19 testing and screening; (3) Structural changes related to service provision; and (4) Access to material resources such as meals, needle and syringe program kits, and personal protective equipment. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed challenges for substance use disorder treatment providers and patients, however with ingenuity many of these challenges were able to be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbe Muller
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Matthew J Akiyama
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Lindsey Riback
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Mercy Nyakowa
- Kenya Ministry of Health, National AIDS & STI Control Program (NASCOP), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Helgar Musyoki
- Kenya Ministry of Health, National AIDS & STI Control Program (NASCOP), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter Cherutich
- Kenya Ministry of Health, National AIDS & STI Control Program (NASCOP), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Ann Kurth
- Yale University School of Nursing, Orange CT
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Collins AB, Edwards S, McNeil R, Goldman J, Hallowell BD, Scagos RP, Marshall BDL. A rapid ethnographic study of risk negotiation during the COVID-19 pandemic among unstably housed people who use drugs in Rhode Island. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 103:103626. [PMID: 35228056 PMCID: PMC8849851 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated the United States' overdose crisis. However, the overlapping impacts of COVID-19 and the overdose crisis have not been experienced equally, with unstably housed people who use drugs (PWUD) disproportionately impacted. Amid these changes, there is a need to understand how risk is experienced and managed among unstably housed PWUD to address health and social needs more effectively. METHODS This project draws on ethnographic research conducted from June 2020 to April 2021 in Rhode Island. Data include 39 in-depth interviews with unstably housed PWUD and approximately 50 h of ethnographic fieldwork conducted alongside street-based outreach workers. RESULTS COVID-19 risks were primarily contextualized in relation to participants' prior experiences of overdose events and adverse health outcomes. However, participants had varying levels of risk tolerance that were managed in ways that allowed them to reassert control and agency within the uncertainty of overlapping public health crises. Given participants' level of structural vulnerabilities, COVID-19 risk was managed alongside meeting their basic needs to survive. CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrate how COVID-related public health measures (e.g., stay-at-home orders, service closures) reinforced participants' structural vulnerabilities in ways that increased their risk of health and social harms. Implementing and scaling up programs that meet the basic needs of individuals, including permanent housing, social supports, and overdose prevention interventions (e.g., supervised consumption sites) is critically needed to address intersecting risks faced by unstably housed PWUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra B Collins
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
| | - Sarah Edwards
- Parent Support Network of Rhode Island, Warwick, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Ryan McNeil
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; Program in Addiction Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
| | - Jacqueline Goldman
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | - Rachel P Scagos
- Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Brandon D L Marshall
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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Minoyan N, Høj SB, Zolopa C, Vlad D, Bruneau J, Larney S. Self-reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic among people who use drugs: a rapid assessment study in Montreal, Canada. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:38. [PMID: 35436936 PMCID: PMC9013973 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00620-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who use drugs (PWUD) are at high risk of experiencing indirect harms of measures implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19, given high reliance on services and social networks. This study aimed to document short-term changes in behaviours and health-related indicators among PWUD in Montreal, Canada following declaration of a provincial health emergency in Quebec. METHODS We administered a structured rapid assessment questionnaire to members of an existing cohort of PWUD and individuals reporting past-year illicit drug use recruited via community services. Telephone and in-person interviews were conducted in May-June and September-December 2020. Participants were asked to report on events and changes since the start of the health emergency (March 13, 2020). Descriptive analyses were performed. RESULTS A total of 227 participants were included (77% male, median age = 46, 81% Caucasian). 83% and 41% reported past six-month illicit drug use and injection drug use, respectively. 70% of unstably housed participants reported increased difficulty finding shelter since the start of the health emergency. 48% of opioid agonist treatment recipients had discussed strategies to avoid treatment disruptions with providers; 22% had missed at least one dose. Many participants perceived increased difficulty accessing non-addiction health care services. Adverse changes were also noted in indicators pertaining to income, drug markets, drug use frequency, and exposure to violence; however, many participants reported no changes in these areas. Among persons reporting past six-month injection drug use, 79% tried to access needle-syringe programmes during the health emergency; 93% of those obtained services. 45% tried to access supervised injection sites, of whom 71% gained entry. CONCLUSIONS This snapshot suggests mixed impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on PWUD in Montreal in the months following declaration of a provincial health emergency. There were signals of increased exposure to high-risk environments as well as deteriorations in access to health services. Pandemic-related measures may have lasting impacts among vulnerable subgroups; continued monitoring is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanor Minoyan
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, 7101 Ave Parc, Montreal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Stine Bordier Høj
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Camille Zolopa
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Dragos Vlad
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.,Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, École de Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, 7101 Ave Parc, Montreal, QC, H3N 1X9, Canada
| | - Julie Bruneau
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada.,Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Sarah Larney
- Université de Montréal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), 900 Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada. .,Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 Boul. Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Otiashvili D, Mgebrishvili T, Beselia A, Vardanashvili I, Dumchev K, Kiriazova T, Kirtadze I. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on illicit drug supply, drug-related behaviour of people who use drugs and provision of drug related services in Georgia: results of a mixed methods prospective cohort study. Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:25. [PMID: 35264181 PMCID: PMC8906357 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00601-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study examines the effects of COVID-19 related restrictions on the supply of illicit drugs, drug-use behaviour among people who use drugs (PWUD) regularly (at least weekly), and drug-related service provision in Tbilisi, Georgia. Methodology In this mixed methods study, a cohort of 50 Georgian PWUD recruited through a snow-ball sampling participated in a bi-weekly online survey in April–September, 2020. They also took part in the qualitative telephone interviews at 12- and 24-week follow-up time points. In addition, four key informants (field experts) were interviewed monthly to assess their perceptions of changes in the illicit drug market and drug service delivery. Results Mean age in the sample was 36 (range 18–60); 39 (78%) were males. Perceived availability of drugs was reduced during the lockdown, and many PWUD switched to alternative substances when preferred drugs were not available. On average, participants used significantly fewer substances over the course of the study, from 3.5 substances in the preceding 14 days to 2.1 (aOR 0.92; 95% CI 0.90–0.94). Consumption of cannabis products declined significantly (aOR 0.89; 95% CI 0.84–0.95), likewise alcohol (aOR 0.94; 95% CI 0.88–1.0), diverted medicinal methadone (aOR 0.85; 95% CI 0.8–0.9) and diverted medicinal buprenorphine (aOR 0.91; 95% CI 0.84–0.99). PWUD cited fewer contacts with drug dealers, the lack of transportation, and the lack of conventional recreational environment as the main reasons for these changes. When access to sterile injection equipment was limited, PWUD exercised risk-containing injection behaviours, such as buying drugs in pre-filled syringes (aOR 0.88; 95% CI 0.80–0.96). Harm reduction and treatment programs managed to adopt flexible strategies to recover services that were affected during the initial stage of the pandemic. Conclusions COVID-19-related restrictive measures mediated specific changes in supply models and drug-use behaviours. While adjusting to the new environment, many PWUD would engage in activities that put them under increased risk of overdose and blood-borne infections. Harm reduction and treatment services need to develop and implement protocols for ensuring uninterrupted service delivery during lockdowns, in anticipation of the similar epidemics or other emergency situations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12954-022-00601-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Otiashvili
- Addiction Research Center Alternative Georgia, 14A Nutsubidze Street, Office 2, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia.,School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 3/5 Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave., 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Tamar Mgebrishvili
- Addiction Research Center Alternative Georgia, 14A Nutsubidze Street, Office 2, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | - Ada Beselia
- Addiction Research Center Alternative Georgia, 14A Nutsubidze Street, Office 2, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Irina Vardanashvili
- School of Arts and Sciences, Ilia State University, 3/5 Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave., 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Kostyantyn Dumchev
- Ukrainian Institute On Public Health Policy, 5 Biloruska Str. Office 20, 27, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Tetiana Kiriazova
- Ukrainian Institute On Public Health Policy, 5 Biloruska Str. Office 20, 27, Kyiv, 04050, Ukraine
| | - Irma Kirtadze
- Addiction Research Center Alternative Georgia, 14A Nutsubidze Street, Office 2, 0177, Tbilisi, Georgia.,School of Arts and Sciences, Ilia State University, 3/5 Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave., 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Trayner KM, McAuley A, Palmateer NE, Yeung A, Goldberg DJ, Glancy M, Hunter C, Ritchie T, Craik J, Raeburn F, McTaggart S, Barnsdale L, Campbell J, Shepherd SJ, Bradley-Stewart A, Gunson RN, Templeton K, Hutchinson SJ. Examining the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 and associated control measures on interventions to prevent blood-borne viruses among people who inject drugs in Scotland: an interrupted time series study. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 232:109263. [PMID: 35120807 PMCID: PMC8802039 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 has likely affected the delivery of interventions to prevent blood-borne viruses (BBVs) among people who inject drugs (PWID). We examined the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 in Scotland on: 1) needle and syringe provision (NSP), 2) opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and 3) BBV testing. METHODS An interrupted time series study design; 23rd March 2020 (date of the first 'lockdown') was chosen as the key date. RESULTS The number of HIV tests and HCV tests in drug services/prisons, and the number of needles/syringes (N/S) distributed decreased by 94% (RR=0.062, 95% CI 0.041-0.094, p < 0.001), 95% (RR=0.049, 95% CI 0.034-0.069, p < 0.001) and 18% (RR = 0.816, 95% CI 0.750-0.887, p < 0.001), respectively, immediately after lockdown. Post-lockdown, an increasing trend was observed relating to the number of N/S distributed (0.6%; RR = 1.006, 95% CI 1.001-1.012, p = 0.015), HIV tests (12.1%; RR = 1.121, 95% CI 1.092-1.152, p < 0.001) and HCV tests (13.2%; RR = 1.132, 95 CI 1.106-1.158, p < 0.001). Trends relating to the total amount of methadone prescribed remained stable, but a decreasing trend in the number of prescriptions (2.4%; RR = 0.976, 95% CI 0.959-0.993, p = 0.006) and an increasing trend in the quantity prescribed per prescription (2.8%; RR = 1.028, 95% CI 1.013-1.042, p < 0.001) was observed post-lockdown. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 impacted the delivery of BBV prevention services for PWID in Scotland. While there is evidence of service recovery; further effort is likely required to return some intervention coverage to pre-pandemic levels in the context of subsequent waves of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M.A. Trayner
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK,Corresponding author at: School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK
| | - Andrew McAuley
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - Norah E. Palmateer
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - Alan Yeung
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - David J. Goldberg
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - Megan Glancy
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - Carole Hunter
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Addiction Services, 150 Brand Street, Glasgow, G51 1DH, UK
| | - Trina Ritchie
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Addiction Services, 150 Brand Street, Glasgow, G51 1DH, UK
| | - Julie Craik
- Public Health Protection Unit, Gartnaval Royal Hospital, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, G12 0XH, UK
| | - Fiona Raeburn
- NHS Grampian Drug and Alcohol Services, Fulton Clinic, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZH, UK
| | - Stuart McTaggart
- Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - Lee Barnsdale
- Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
| | - John Campbell
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Addiction Services, 150 Brand Street, Glasgow, G51 1DH, UK
| | - Samantha J. Shepherd
- West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, New Lister Building, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, G31 2ER, UK
| | | | - Rory N. Gunson
- West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, New Lister Building, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, G31 2ER, UK
| | - Kate Templeton
- East of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Sharon J. Hutchinson
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK,Public Health Scotland, Meridian Court, 5 Cadogan Street, Glasgow, G2 6QQ, UK
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Bendau A, Viohl L, Petzold MB, Helbig J, Reiche S, Marek R, Romanello A, Moon DU, Gross RE, Masah DJ, Gutwinski S, Mick I, Montag C, Evens R, Majić T, Betzler F. No party, no drugs? Use of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL during the early COVID-19 pandemic1. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 102:103582. [PMID: 35093679 PMCID: PMC8730379 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Bendau
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonard Viohl
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Bruno Petzold
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Helbig
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simon Reiche
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roman Marek
- Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany; Akademie der Wissenschaften Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Amy Romanello
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Germany
| | - Daa Un Moon
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rosa Elisa Gross
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dario Jalilzadeh Masah
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Gutwinski
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany
| | - Inge Mick
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Montag
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ricarda Evens
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tomislav Majić
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Betzler
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Bennett AS, Townsend T, Elliott L. The COVID-19 pandemic and the health of people who use illicit opioids in New York City, the first 12 months. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 101:103554. [PMID: 34911010 PMCID: PMC8632599 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Concurrent opioid-related overdose and COVID-19 crises in the U.S. have imposed unprecedented challenges on people who use illicit opioids. Methods Using the experiences of 324 people who use illicit opioids between April 2020 and March 2021, we examined four domains of health and well-being potentially impacted by COVID-19: drug risks and responses, healthcare and related services, material hardship, and mental health. Data were drawn from participants’ completed monthly survey assessments which were grouped into four periods of interest for the unfolding pandemic: April-June 2020, July-October 2020, November-January 2021, and February-March 2021. Results A majority of measures in our four domains showed early COVID-19 related impacts, which quickly diminished as people and agencies responded to the pandemic. Difficulty obtaining food was the most frequently reported material hardship and appeared worst in April-June 2020. Over half of the population reported depression in April-June 2020, but this declined over the study period. Some participants reported changes to the heroin supply, including higher prices, lower quality, difficulty finding the drug, and fentanyl contamination. There was no discernable temporal shift in the frequency of use of each substance or the frequency of withdrawal symptoms. Over the study period, the mean number of overdoses per month decreased while the percent of opioid use events at which both a witness and naloxone were present (i.e., protected events) increased. Most participants receiving MOUD experienced an increase in take-home doses. Conclusions Findings speak to the resilience of people who use drugs as a population with disproportionate experience of trauma and crisis and also to the rapid response of NYC health agencies and service providers working with this population. Despite evident signs of adaptability and resilience, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some of the unique vulnerabilities of people who use illicit opioids and the need for greater rates of “protected” opioid use and greater availability of wrap-around services to efficiently address the safety, food security, mental health, and treatment needs of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S Bennett
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), School of Global Public Health, New York University, 708 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012, United States.
| | - Tarlise Townsend
- Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), School of Global Public Health, New York University, 708 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012, United States; Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, United States; Behavioral Science Training Program, NYU Rory College of Nursing, United States
| | - Luther Elliott
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, United States; Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), School of Global Public Health, New York University, 708 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10012, United States
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Imtiaz S, Nafeh F, Russell C, Ali F, Elton-Marshall T, Rehm J. The impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on drug overdose-related deaths in the United States and Canada: a systematic review of observational studies and analysis of public health surveillance data. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2021; 16:87. [PMID: 34844624 PMCID: PMC8628272 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-021-00423-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are preliminary indications that the trajectory of drug overdose-related deaths in North America has been exacerbated due to the novel coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). As such, the impact of COVID-19 on drug overdose-related deaths was examined through a systematic review of the literature and percentage change analyses of surveillance data. METHODS Systematic searches in electronic databases were conducted, a topical issue brief and bibliography were reviewed, reference lists of included studies were searched and expert consultations were held to identify studies (Registration # CRD42021230223). Observational studies from the United States and Canada were eligible for inclusion if drug overdose-related deaths were assessed in quantitative or qualitative analyses onwards from at least March 2020. In addition, percentage changes comparing drug overdose-related deaths in the second annual quarter (Q2 2020 [April to June]) with the first annual quarter (Q1 2020 [January to March]) were generated using national and subnational data from public health surveillance systems and reports from jurisdictions in the United States and Canada. RESULTS Nine studies were included in the systematic review, eight from the United States and one from Canada. The maximum outcome assessment period in the included studies extended until September 2020. Drug overdose-related deaths after the onset of COVID-19 were higher compared with the months leading up to the pandemic in 2020 and the comparative months in 2019. In additional percentage change analyses, drug overdose-related deaths increased by 2 to 60% in jurisdictions in the United States and by 58% in Canada when comparing Q2 2020 with Q1 2020. CONCLUSIONS Drug overdose-related deaths increased after the onset of COVID-19. The current situation necessitates a multi-pronged approach, encompassing expanded access to substance use disorder treatment, undisrupted access to harm reduction services, emphasis on risk reduction strategies, provision of a safe drug supply and decriminalization of drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Imtiaz
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1 Canada
| | - Frishta Nafeh
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1 Canada
| | - Cayley Russell
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1 Canada
| | - Farihah Ali
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1 Canada
| | - Tara Elton-Marshall
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5Z3 Canada ,grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7 Canada ,grid.39381.300000 0004 1936 8884Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Kresge Building, London, Ontario N6A 5C1 Canada ,grid.258900.60000 0001 0687 7127Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, SN 1006, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1 Canada
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1 Canada ,grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Room 2374, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 8th Floor, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8 Canada ,Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TU Dresden, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany ,grid.448878.f0000 0001 2288 8774Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Trubetskaya Str., 8, B. 2, Moscow, Russian Federation 119992 ,grid.13648.380000 0001 2180 3484Center for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research (ZIS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Martinistraße 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Aponte-Melendez Y, Mateu-Gelabert P, Fong C, Eckhardt B, Kapadia S, Marks K. The impact of COVID-19 on people who inject drugs in New York City: increased risk and decreased access to services. Harm Reduct J 2021; 18:118. [PMID: 34819070 PMCID: PMC8611635 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-021-00568-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While people who inject drugs (PWID) are vulnerable to the adverse outcomes of events like COVID-19, little is known regarding the impact of the current pandemic on PWID. We examine how COVID-19 has affected PWID in New York City across four domains: substance use, risk behaviors, mental health, and service utilization. Methods As part of a randomized trial to improve access to HCV treatment for PWID, we recruited 165 participants. Eligibility criteria included detectable HCV RNA and recent drug injection. The present cross-sectional analysis is based on a subsample of 106 participants. We compared responses between two separate samples: 60 participants interviewed prior to the pandemic (pre-COVID-19 sample) and 46 participants interviewed during the pandemic (COVID-19 sample). We also assessed differences by study group [accessible care (AC) and usual care (UC)]. Results Compared to the pre-COVID-19 sample, those interviewed during COVID-19 reported higher levels of mental health issues, syringe reuse, and alcohol consumption and greater reductions in syringe-service programs and buprenorphine utilization. In the analysis conducted by study group, the UC group reported significantly higher injection risk behaviors and lower access to buprenorphine treatment during COVID-19, while during the same period, the AC group reported lower levels of substance use and injection risk behaviors. Conclusion The current study provides insight on how COVID-19 has negatively affected PWID. Placing dispensing machines of harm-reduction supplies in communities where PWID live and increasing secondary exchange, mobile services, and mail delivery of supplies may help maintain access to lifesaving supplies during big events, such as COVID-19. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03214679. Registered July 11 2017. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03214679.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesenia Aponte-Melendez
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), 55 West 125th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA. .,NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, 380 Second Avenue, New York, NY, 10010, USA.
| | - Pedro Mateu-Gelabert
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), 55 West 125th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Chunki Fong
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), 55 West 125th Street, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Shashi Kapadia
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Ave 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10021, USA
| | - Kristen Marks
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Ave 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10021, USA
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Strathdee SA, Abramovitz D, Harvey-Vera A, Vera CF, Rangel G, Artamonova I, Chaillon A, Ignacio C, Calderon A, Martin NK, Patterson TL. Prevalence and correlates of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among people who inject drugs in the San Diego-Tijuana border region. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260286. [PMID: 34807963 PMCID: PMC8608290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People who inject drugs may be at elevated SARS-CoV-2 risk due to their living conditions and/or exposures when seeking or using drugs. No study to date has reported upon risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among people who inject drugs. METHODS AND FINDINGS Between October, 2020 and June, 2021, participants aged ≥18 years from San Diego, California, USA and Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico who injected drugs within the last month underwent interviews and testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies. Binomial regressions identified correlates of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. RESULTS Of 386 participants, SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 36.3% (95% CI: 31.5%-41.1%); 92.1% had detectable IgM antibodies. Only 37.5% had previously been tested. Seroprevalence did not differ by country of residence. None tested RNA-positive. Most (89.5%) reported engaging in ≥1 protective behavior [e.g., facemasks (73.5%), social distancing (46.5%), or increasing handwashing/sanitizers (22.8%)]. In a multivariate model controlling for sex, older age, and Hispanic/Latinx/Mexican ethnicity were independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity, as was engaging in sex work (AdjRR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.18-2.27) and having been incarcerated in the past six months (AdjRR: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.97-2.27). Comorbidities and substance using behaviors were not associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. CONCLUSIONS In this community-based study of people who inject drugs in the San Diego-Tijuana border region, over one third were SARS-CoV-2 seropositive, exceeding estimates from the general population in either city. We found no evidence that substance use behaviors were associated with an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but observed that circumstances in the risk environment, notably sex work and incarceration, were independently associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence. Our findings suggest that a binational policy response to COVID-19 mitigation is warranted beyond the closure of the U.S.-Mexico border. Furthermore, decriminalizing sex work and drug use could reduce the burden of COVID-19 among people who inject drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffanie A. Strathdee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Daniela Abramovitz
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Alicia Harvey-Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Facultad de Medicina, Campus Tijuana, Universidad Xochicalco, Baja California, Mexico
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Carlos F. Vera
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Gudelia Rangel
- United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
- Departmento de Estudios de Población, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
| | - Irina Artamonova
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Antoine Chaillon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Caroline Ignacio
- Department of Medicine, San Diego Center for AIDS Research Translational Virology Core, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Alheli Calderon
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Natasha K. Martin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Thomas L. Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
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Levander XA, Pytell JD, Stoller KB, Korthuis PT, Chander G. COVID-19-related policy changes for methadone take-home dosing: A multistate survey of opioid treatment program leadership. Subst Abus 2021; 43:633-639. [PMID: 34666636 PMCID: PMC8810732 DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2021.1986768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background: In the United States, methadone for treatment of opioid use disorder is dispensed via highly-regulated accredited opioid treatment programs (OTP). During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal regulations were loosened, allowing for greater use of take-home methadone doses. We sought to understand how OTP leaders responded to these policy changes. Methods: We distributed a multistate electronic survey from September to November 2020 of OTP leadership to members of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) who self-identified as leaders of OTPs. We asked study participants about how their OTP(s) implemented COVID-19-related policy changes into their clinical practice focusing on provision of take-home methadone doses, factors used to determine patient stability, and potential concerns about increased take-home doses. We used Chi-square test to compare survey responses between characterizations of the OTPs. Results: Of 170 survey respondents (17% response rate), the majority represented leadership of for-profit OTPs (69%) and were in a Southern state (54%). Routine allowances and practices related to take-home methadone doses varied across OTPs during the COVID-19 pandemic: 80 (47%) reported 14 days for newly enrolled patients (within past 90 days), 89 (52%) reported 14 days for "less stable" patients, and 112 (66%) reported 28 days for "stable" patients. Conclusions: We found that not all eligible OTP leaders adopted the practice of routinely allowing newly enrolled, "less stable," and "stable" patients on methadone to have increased take-home doses up to the limit allowed by federal regulations during COVID-19. The pandemic provides an opportunity to critically re-evaluate long-established methadone and OTP regulations in preparation for future emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena A. Levander
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Section of Addiction Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jarratt D. Pytell
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth B. Stoller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - P. Todd Korthuis
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Section of Addiction Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Geetanjali Chander
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Riley ED, Raven MC, Dilworth SE, Braun C, Imbert E, Doran KM. Using a "Big Events" framework to understand emergency department use among women experiencing homelessness or housing instability in San Francisco during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 97:103405. [PMID: 34403865 PMCID: PMC8581479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic created a major public health crisis that disrupted economic systems, social networks and individual behaviors, which led to changes in patterns of health care use. Factors associated with emergency department (ED) visits during the pandemic among especially high-risk individuals are unknown. We used a “Big Events” approach, which considers major disruptions that create social instability, to investigate ED use in people experiencing homelessness or housing instability, many of whom use drugs. Methods Between July and December 2020, we conducted a community-based San Francisco study to compare homeless and unstably housed (HUH) women who did and did not use an ED during the first 10 months of the pandemic. Results Among 128 study participants, 34% had ≥1 ED visit during the pandemic. In adjusted analysis, factors significantly associated with ED use included experiencing homelessness, cocaine use and increased difficulties receiving drug use treatment during the pandemic. Conclusion These findings build on the “Big Events” approach to considering risk pathways among people who use drugs. They suggest the importance of ensuring access to housing and low-barrier non-COVID health services, including drug treatment, alongside crisis management activities, to reduce the health impacts of public health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise D Riley
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Maria C Raven
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Emergency Medicine and UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Samantha E Dilworth
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carl Braun
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Imbert
- University of California, San Francisco, Department of Medicine, Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kelly M Doran
- New York University School of Medicine, Ronald O. Perelman Department of Emergency Medicine and Department of Population Health, New York, NY, USA
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