The pandemic's effects on opioid users in the US and Europe
The pandemic's effects on opioid users in the US and Europe - A patch with fentanyl as the active ingredient is shown by a pharmacist. The synthetic opioid is becoming more common in Europe's drug scene, a worrying development in light of Covid-19. - Carsten Rehder/dpa
October 05, 2020 | 06:05AM ETHealthSubstance abusers are at greater risk of contracting Covid-19, according to recent studies, a worrying fact as use of synthetic opioids gradually increases in Europe.Users of opioids or tobacco face a greater risk of catching the coronavirus and are more likely to suffer a more serious case of Covid-19 and to die, says a recent study by the National Institutes of Health in the US.The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, a trade journal, assessed more than 73 million patients and found that people with opioid use disorder are at a particularly high risk.Nora Volkow, who heads the National ...
