Sixteen Funerals: The Impact of COVID-Related Distancing on Substance Use Disorders

The 2020 COVID-19 shutdown brought challenges to all, but especially individuals with opioid use disorder, as overdoses increased 30% the first year of mandated distancing. Through interviews, we found this population was profoundly affected by the isolation necessitated by quarantine, with overdosing perceived as a higher risk than contracting COVID-19.