There are many reasons Americans have been suffering from the coronavirus pandemic because over the past 9 months we’ve discovered that it’s not only the virus itself that is harmful to our health.
One of the biggest impacts of the COVID-19 crisis is the economic devastation that it has brought to our nation, and to the world at large. Businesses of all sizes have been permanently damaged, with the most harm being done to the restaurant and entertainment industries.
But, perhaps worse still, is the mental health crisis that our nation faces today and how very little is being done to address it. The solitude and stress have been incredible, and it’s caused millions of Americans to experience new levels of anxiety and depression.
The CDC is now recognizing just how bad things have gotten for some.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that there were 81,230 drug overdose deaths in the year ending May 2020 — a new record, driven by fentanyl, with deaths accelerating during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
The report notes “substantial increases in drug overdose deaths across the United States, primarily driven by rapid increases in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids excluding methadone … likely illicitly manufactured fentanyl.”
It also indicates “a concerning acceleration of the increase in drug overdose deaths, with the largest increase recorded
from March 2020 to May 2020, coinciding with the implementation of widespread mitigation measures for the COVID-19 pandemic.”Though overdose deaths declined 4.1% from 2017 to 2018, the CDC says, they have recently accelerated. The surge began before the pandemic, but accelerated during the pandemic.
The CDC added that the percentage of overdose deaths was far higher west of the Mississippi, in areas where the powerful opiate fentanyl is far more available.
