SUDs linked to COVID-19 susceptibility: Study
A study funded by the US National Institutes of Health discovered that persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) are more susceptible to COVID-19 and its complications, reports Xinhua.
The study, published Monday in Molecular Psychiatry, suggests that healthcare providers should closely monitor patients with SUDs and develop action plans to greatly help shield them from infection and severe outcomes.
By analysing non-identifiable electronic health records of an incredible number of patients from 360 hospitals across the United States, the study team revealed that while people with a SUD constituted 10.3 percent of the total study population, they represented 15.6 percent of the COVID-19 cases.
The analysis revealed that people that have a recent SUD diagnosis on record were much more likely than those without to build up COVID-19, an impact that was strongest for opioid use disorder, accompanied by tobacco use disorder.
People with an SUD diagnosis were also much more likely to see worse COVID-19 outcomes than persons without an SUD, in line with the study.
"The lungs and cardiovascular system tend to be compromised in people with SUD, which might partially explain their heightened susceptibility to COVID-19," said Nora D Volkow, co-author of the analysis and director of the US National Institute on SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
"Another contributing factor may be the marginalisation of people with addiction, that makes it harder for them to access health care services. It is incumbent upon clinicians to meet up the unique challenges of looking after this vulnerable population, just as they would any other high-risk group," Volkow said.
