Drug addicts, others more susceptible to COVID-19 – Expert
A mental and behavioural medicine specialist, Dr. Kola Okunade, on Saturday said drug addicts and substance users were more susceptible to COVID-19 and other deadly infections.
Okunade made the disclosure at an event organised by Adicare Rehabilitation Home in Lagos, saying that the use of drugs has been found to be weakening the human immune system.
The theme of the event was: “COVID-19 impact on substance abuse and management.”
The specialist said there was every possibility for drug users to be easily infected than non-users of drugs, adding that such infection could make them to die of COVID-19 infection.
“Since COVID-19 attacks the lungs, for drug users like smokers, their lungs are already affected due to frequent smoking. Drug use affects the immune system.
“So, individuals with weakened immune systems such as drug users might be at higher risk for infection and complications associated with COVID-19 infection.
“Also, for drug users, the issue of social distancing, wearing of face masks, regular hand washing or using of sanitizers are none of their concern.
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“What matters to them is how to have access to the drugs, which is why all the resources are being channelled to getting the substances for consumption,” he said.
Okunade said that because most drug users already had underlying health conditions, which might be asthma, cardiac or cancer that would easily expose them to COVID-19 and other deadly infections.
According to him, about 40 per cent of drug users in Nigeria currently do not have access to treatment facility or medical care.
Okunade also noted that the problems of infrastructure for mental healthcare, high cost of treatment, stigmatisation and diversion of the few available resources for managing the COVID-19 pandemic are hampering proper medical care for patients.
