COVID-19 Scan for Mar 21, 2022

Alcohol deaths increased during first year of COVID-19 pandemicAlcohol-related deaths increased by 25% in the United States during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study in JAMA based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.Several studies have shown that alcohol use increased during the first month of COVID-19 lockdowns, but this study showed that deaths related to overconsumption of alcohol jumped from 2019 to 2020, from 78,927 to 99,017 [relative change, 25.5%]), as did the age-adjusted rate (from 27.3 to 34.4 per 100,000 [relative change, 25.9%]).Alcohol-related deaths accounted for 2.8% of all deaths in 2019 and 3.0% in 2020.

The findings echo previous studies on opioid use during the pandemic, which found that opioid overdose deaths increased 38% in 2020.Though rates of alcohol-related deaths increased similarly among men and women, there were significant increases for people aged 35 to 44 years (from 22.9 to 32.0 per 100,000 [39.7%]) and 25 to 34 years (from 11.8 to 16.1 per 100 000 [37.0%])."The rate increase for alcohol-related deaths in 2020 outpaced the increase in all-cause mortality, which was 16.6%," the authors wrote. "Deaths involving alcohol reflect hidden tolls of the pandemic.

Increased drinking to cope with pandemic-related stressors, shifting alcohol policies, and disrupted treatment access are all possible contributing factors."Mar 18 JAMA studyAccuracy of second SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test estimated at 94%The estimated overall accuracy of a second COVID-19 rapid antigen test among asymptomatic New York City workers was 94% in a comparative effectiveness study published late last week in JAMA Network Open.The study authors noted that while the