THE INCIDENCE OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

BACKGROUNDThe COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a myriad of challenges to healthcare systems and public health policies across the globe. Individuals with alcohol use disorders are at peaked risk due to mental, socio-demographic, and economic factors leading to hindered mental health service access, misinformation and adherence. METHODSKeywords including "alcohol use", "death", "hand sanitizer", "overdose" and "COVID-19" were used to obtain 8 media reports for case analysis. A review of 34 manually extracted records were also conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and the Embase database with no time and language restrictions. RESULTSA total of 2,517 individuals with alcohol overdose across the United States, India, Canada, and Iran were presented. The majority of cases were male, ages 21-65. Common contributors were linked to socio-economic changes, disruption to mental health services, and physical isolation. CONCLUSIONWhile original studies are essential to evaluate the etiologies of alcohol use and misuse during pandemics, the dissemination of misinformation must be curbed by directing vulnerable individuals towards accurate information and access to mental health services.