People with substance use disorders may be at higher risk for SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Co-occurring health disorders appear to contribute to increased risk, NIH study suggests

An analysis of electronic health records of nearly 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States found that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection among vaccinated patients with substance use disorders was low overall, but higher than the risk among vaccinated people without substance use disorders. The study was published today in World Psychiatry and led by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

The study also found that co-occurring health conditions and adverse socioeconomic determinants of health, which are more common in people with substance use disorders, appear to be largely responsible for the increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections. People with substance use disorders — such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opioid, and tobacco use disorders — also had elevated rates of severe outcomes, including hospitalization and death, following breakthrough infections.

“First and foremost, vaccination is highly effective for people with substance use disorders, and the overall risk of COVID-19 among vaccinated people with substance use disorders is very low.” said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D., and one of the lead authors on the study. "We must continue to encourage and facilitate COVID-19 vaccination among people with substance use disorders, while also acknowledging that even after vaccination, this group is at an increased risk and should continue to take protective measures against COVID-19.”