Because I don't want to flood Global with doom and gloom, I'll piggy back and leave this here . . . Coronavirus Pandemic Compounds Another Ongoing Crisis: The Opioid Epidemic “We know that from reports of overdoses, these may have increased 30% [to] 40%,” she says. “We know also that from some of the reports from the states that there have been increases in overdose fatalities, that there have been increases in patients relapsing that had already achieved recovery. So we are hearing these distress calls from throughout the country.” While public health officials know that social distancing helps stop the spread of the coronavirus, it can also have an adverse effect on those who suffer from substance abuse or psychological issues, Volkow says. Doctors are also particularly concerned about intentional overdoses and other suicide attempts due to coronavirus lockdowns. I look around and see, from this and hunger and rent and jobs, I think the rough times are just starting to get rolling.The opioid crisis hasn’t gone away since then, and in fact, the pandemic has made it worse, says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.