Health officials say COVID-19 may be exacerbating the opioid crisis | Local News

Cumberland-The recent surge in opioid overdose has prompted Garrett County Health Department to issue a warning on Wednesday.

Although the sector is not convinced of the cause of the increase, fentanyl overdose has recently been increasing throughout Maryland.

Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than heroin, is mixed with other drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine to increase potency, and increases the likelihood of overdose and death.

“The Garrett county threshold based on historical alert data is three overdose within 48 hours,” said Garrett County health official Bob Stevens in an email Wednesday.

Signs of opioid overdose include a pinched pupil in the waist, a lithe body of a person who is not awake or tactile responsive, low breathing, shallow breathing, suffocation, choking, gargling, or vomiting. ..

“If you’re witnessing an overdose, it’s important that you call 911 and an individual will get immediate medical attention,” Stevens said in a Wednesday press release. “If people on site have access to the (opioid antidote) naloxone, it should be given immediately. The Good Samaritan Act of Maryland states that if you ask someone who overdose it for help, Will prevent you from being arrested on charges.”

According to a recent report from Operation Maryland Opioid Command, there were 561 state-wide deaths related to opioids in the first quarter of 2020, up 2.6% from the same period last year.

According to the report, the number of opioid-related deaths fell 2.5% annually between 2018 and 2019, the first decline since the onset of the opioid crisis.

Prescription changes According to Allegany County, this year there were 13 deaths in Allegany County this year, compared to 28 deaths in 2019 for drug and/or alcohol-related addiction overall.

COVID-19 may be exacerbating the opioid crisis, the American Medical Association reports.

“The AMA is particularly concerned about increased reports from national, state, and local media suggesting increased opioid-related mortality, especially from illegally manufactured fentanyl and fentanyl analogs,” the organization said. It was. “More than 35 states have reported increased opioid-related mortality, as well as continuing concern for people with mental illness and drug use disorders in counties and other parts of the state. This also includes new reports on the need for evidence-based harm mitigation services, including sterile needle and syringe services and naloxone.”

Prior to COVID-19, nationwide efforts to contain the opioid crisis had begun to make progress, the Washington Post reported.

“Nationwide, federal and local authorities are reporting a surprising surge in drug overdose-a pandemic hidden in a coronavirus pandemic,” the press reported. “When the pandemic struck, some authorities wanted the borders to be closed and the city to be closed, thus blocking the transport of drugs and reducing overdose. The opposite happened. And it seems.”

Millennium Health, a certified specialized laboratory that provides data via nationwide drug monitoring and drug testing services, has completed over 500,000 urinary drugs for prescription and non-prescription fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine on Wednesday. COVID-19, which stated that it carried out an analysis of the test results, was declared a national emergency.

“Nationwide, there was a significant increase in positives for all four drugs,” the company said. “Public health authorities across the country have reported a sharp increase in deaths from drug overdose during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 30 states have reported deaths from opioid-related overdose, mainly related to We are reporting an increase.”