COVID-19 hospitalization rates in individuals with substance or alcohol use disorders

•People with SUDs or AUDs are likely to be more vulnerable to infectious disease and COVID-19 infection than the general population.•This study confirmed the hypothesis that individuals with AUDs/SUDs have higher risk of symptomatic COVID-19 infection that requires hospitalization compared to the general population.•Furthermore, we found higher mortality rates during hospitalization for COVID-19 in patients with AUDs or SUDs than the general population.•Policies aiming at avoiding social marginalization and disparities in access to health care services may reduce the risk of poor prognosis of COVID-19 infection in patients with AUDs/SUDs. People with Substance or Alcohol Use Disorders (SUDs/AUDs) are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection than the general population. We performed a cross-sectional study to compare the hospitalization rate (CHR) for COVID-19 in 2020 in patients diagnosed with SUDs or AUDs in the previous 10 years vs the population without these disorders (NAS). We included individuals who were resident in the Metropolitan Area of Bologna (Northern Italy). People with SUDs or AUDs have a greater probability of being hospitalized for COVID-19 infection compared to the general population NAS, suggesting that they suffer from worse physical symptoms/conditions than the general population. Furthermore, we found higher mortality rates during hospitalization for COVID-19 in patients with AUDs or SUDs than the general population NAS. These findings highlight the importance of a careful monitoring and early intervention measures in these patients.