CDC Claims The US Report A Record High Of More Than 96000 Deaths Due To Drug Overdose In The Last Year

An analysis from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that the US has hit a new high of over 96000 deaths due to drug overdose in the last 12 months starting from March 2020 to March 2021. The report from the NCHS has revealed that in the last 12 months when the US has been struggling with the COVID19 pandemic that has disrupted normal daily routines, the country has reported nearly 96779 deaths due to drug overdose. There has been a boost of 29.6 percent in drug overdose deaths from March 2020. Nevertheless, the CDC has claimed that the figures are interim as there is a need for an extensive investigation for recording deaths that take place due to drug overdose. Well, the estimated drug overdose death by the CDC accounts for delayed reporting as well. The CDC has reported that there might have been nearly 99000 from March 2020 to March 2021. Experts have said that though the number of drug overdose deaths has shot up as compared to the number of drug overdose deaths during the 12-month period until February 2021, the deaths have shot up steadily. However, the new report has shown that three states in the US, South Dakota, Hampshire, New Jersey have reported a drop in the number of drug overdose deaths. The number of drug overdose deaths has dropped by 16.9 percent in South Dakota, said the experts. On the other hand, Vermont has recorded the highest increase in the number of drug overdose deaths as compared to any other state in the US. As per the data, there has been an increase of 85.1 percent in the number of drug overdose deaths in Vermont from March 2020 to March 2021. Vermont has seen the highest increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in the February dataset as well.

Health experts from the CDC have said that disruptions caused by the COVID19 pandemic have led to such an increase in the number of drug overdose deaths in the US. The CDC has clearly stated in the report that opioids have been the major contributing factor for the highest number of drug overdose deaths so far. Synthetic opioids are the second-highest contributing factor for such deaths, said the expert. However, methadone accounts for the lowest number of drug overdose deaths. Acting chief of the National Drug Control Policy, Dr. Regina LaBelle has said that it is crucial to know that behind these devastating overdose death figures are families, friends, community members who are mourning over the death of their loved ones during the destructive COVID19 crisis. She has urged that health authorities need to elevate prevention measures and treatment for substance abuse along with other efforts. Health experts from the CDC have said that the year 2020 has seen a single largest boost in the number of drug overdose deaths. They have reported more than 93000 overdose deaths last year. Earlier this year, there has been an increase of 30 percent in the number of drug overdose deaths as compared to the data from 2019. The chief of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow has said that the findings of the CDC report are concerning. She has said that the pandemic has led to such a collision of health in the United States. Dr. Nora Volkow has said that it has been a stressful time for many people and experts have seen a rapid boost in drug consumption, trouble in getting life-saving care for substance use disorders, and an awful climb in deaths due to drug overdose.

The new report that has been released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has covered the deadliest time of the coronavirus pandemic in the US where deaths, hospital admissions, cases of the disease have drastically shot up from late last year through early months of this year. The impact of the COVID19 pandemic has been devastating for the United States. Another report from the CDC has shown that more than 140000 children have lost their parents or caregivers during the pandemic in the US. The chief of adult services at the Center for Fathers and Families, Terry Moore has said that it is hard for kids to understand the intricacies of COVID19. They just know that their parents fall sick and in a matter of few days, their parents are no more. The report has revealed that nearly 1 out of 500 children in the US has gone through orphanhood due to COVID19 illness or has seen the death of grandparent caregiver during the pandemic. Experts have said that there have been racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities as well linked to such deaths. The study has shown that followed by Black and Hispanic children, mostly American Indian and Alaska Native children have been affected by this. The authors of the reports have said that children belonging to racial and minority groups have contributed to 65 percent of those kids who have lost a primary caregiver due to COVID19. They have said that California is one of the three states that have seen the highest number of children suffering the death of their primary caregivers. Texas and New York as well account for an elevated number of such children after California. The CDC report has found that around 49 to 67 percent of children who have lost their caregivers belong to California Texas and New York and they have been from the Hispanic community. Health experts worry that due to the losses California has suffered, it will shoot up the struggle for foster care homes that are already not in very good shape. A social worker from Foster Hope Sacramento, Sarah Denney has said that there is a dire need for homes that can accommodate three or more siblings. She has said that homes that can accommodate teenagers as well are needed. She has noted that almost all foster care homes in Sacramento are findings it hard to find short-term shelter for orphaned kids.