COVID-19 risk and outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: analyses from electronic health records in the United States

Abstract

The global pandemic of COVID-19 is colliding with the epidemic of opioid use disorders (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUD) in the United States (US). Currently, there is limited data on risks, disparity, and outcomes for COVID-19 in individuals suffering from SUD. This is a retrospective case-control study of electronic health records (EHRs) data of 73,099,850 unique patients, of whom 12,030 had a diagnosis of COVID-19. Patients with a recent diagnosis of SUD (within past year) were at significantly increased risk for COVID-19 (adjusted odds ratio or AOR = 8.699 [8.411-8.997], P < 10 −30), an effect that was strongest for individuals with OUD (AOR = 10.244 [9.107-11.524], P < 10 −30), followed by individuals with tobacco use disorder (TUD) (AOR = 8.222 ([7.925-8.530], P < 10 −30). Compared to patients without SUD, patients with SUD had significantly higher prevalence of chronic kidney, liver, lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cancer. Among patients with recent diagnosis of SUD, African Americans had significantly higher risk of COVID-19 than Caucasians (AOR = 2.173 [2.01-2.349],

Association of substance use disorders and drug overdose with adverse COVID-19 outcomes in New York City: January–October 2020

“…The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic may disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including people with substance use disorders (SUDs). 1 , 2 Evidence suggests that individuals with SUDs are at increased risk of COVID-19, 3 but little is known about relationships between SUDs, overdose and COVID-19 severity and mortality. 4 To address this gap, we conducted a retrospective study of patients tested for COVID-19 at a hospital system in New York City (NYC), an early COVID-19 hotspot and jurisdiction with high rates of opioid and other drug overdose (OD).…”

Trust in a COVID-19 vaccine among people with substance use disorders

“…Data suggest that individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are at elevated risk of COVID-19 [ 1 ]. Following issues of scarcity and prioritization in access [ 2 ], addressing vaccine distribution and readiness is critical for reducing the burden of the pandemic on this population [ 3 ].…”

Electronic Vaping Product Use among Young Adults Who Receive Care at a Major Medical Institution

“…alcohol, opiates), and psychiatric disorders (Grant et al, 2019). Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a respiratory disease pandemic and recent data suggest that individuals who smoke and vape could potentially be at higher risk for more severe complications from COVID-19 (Wang et al, 2020). Mounting evidence suggests that substance use screening, prevention and early intervention by treating providers improves the prognosis of co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders (Sterling et al, 2011), suggesting an important role for screening of EVP use in young adults by healthcare providers.…”