NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues, in Nashville, the opioid epidemic is getting worse.
On August 18, the Metro Health Department shared that Davidson County has had more than 100 additional fatal overdoses than this time last year. So far, there have been 397. In 2019, there were 296 at the end of August.
"We're also seeing a new population of people who are now suffering with substance abuse disorder and this isn't going to go away when the pandemic goes away," said Erin Calipari, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine.
Erin Calipari studies how stress creates instability for people with substance use disorders.
"When you put society in a lockdown, which we needed to do to combat the pandemic, you have this sort of secondary effect where you're taking people's alternatives out of their lives. So now you're home, alone, there's an increase in stress and all of those factors are contributing to the development of addiction or the increased probability of relapse," Calipari said.
The pandemic forced treatment centers to limit services, therapists to meet with patients electronically and meetings for alcohol and drug users, like Alcoholics Anonymous, more difficult to find.
"These people are both suffering more from overdoses and also the adverse outcomes of COVID-19," she said.
From March to June, Nashville firefighters administered naloxone to 1,199 patients. During the same time period last year, it was given to 702 people.
When the pandemic is under control, Calipari would like to see the energy that went into flattening the curve go into helping people with substance use disorders.
"We say we all need to come together and solve this [virus], it's killing people, costing society tons of money. 'How do we come together financially and solve this problem?' The same thing needs to be done to solve addiction," she said.
At the current rate, Davidson County could surpass last year’s total by the end of September, while estimates for the annual total are likely to reach more than 650 drug overdose deaths.
In March and April, there were 62 and 61 overdose deaths, respectively, representing the highest single-month totals observed in Davidson County on record. Compared to last year, drug overdose deaths doubled during March and April. Additionally, prior to 2020, the monthly number of fatal overdoses had never exceeded 50. However, five of the first six months of this year reported more than 50 fatal drug overdoses.
