'Breakthrough' COVID More Likely in People With Problem Drug, Alcohol Use
Oct. 6, 2021, at 8:03 a.m.
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter
"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," study co-author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in an institute news release.
She said it's important to encourage folks with drug and alcohol problems to get vaccinated and to acknowledge that even after they do, they have a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and must take steps to protect themselves.
For the study, the researchers analyzed electronic health records of nearly 580,000 people in the United States who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 between Dec. 1, 2020 and Aug. 14, 2021, and who had not previously had COVID.
Seven percent of those with drug or alcohol problems had breakthrough infections, compared with 3.6% of those without substance use problems.
Infection rates ranged from 6.8% for tobacco users to 7.8% for those with cannabis use disorder.
Among people with substance use disorders who had a breakthrough infection, 22.5% were hospitalized, and 1.7% died, the study found. The rates were 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively, among people with drug and alcohol problems but no breakthrough infection.
"From previous studies, we knew that people with substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and severe related outcomes," said study co-author Rong Xu, director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
"These results emphasize that, while the vaccine is essential and effective, some of these same risk factors still apply to breakthrough infections," Xu said in the release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on breakthrough infections.
SOURCE: U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, news release, Oct. 6, 2021
(HealthDay)
Cannabis abusers at 55% higher risk
Of SUD patients, the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection ranged from 6.8% for patients with tobacco use disorder to 7.8% for those with cannabis use disorder, both significantly higher than 3.6% in the non-SUD group.
The risk remained higher after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and vaccine types for all SUD subtypes except tobacco use disorder and was highest for those who abused cocaine and cannabis (hazard ratio
, 2.06 for cocaine, 1.39 for cannabis). This was despite the relative youth and greater chronic disease burden of the latter group, which the study authors said could be due to the effects of cannabis on lung and immune function.
When the researchers matched patients with and without SUD for chronic conditions and adverse socioeconomic determinants of health (eg, low educational level, unemployment or underemployment), the risk of breakthrough infection was not different, except for those with cannabis use disorder, who were still at 55% higher risk (HR, 1.55).
All subgroups of patients who received the Pfizer vaccine were at higher risk for breakthrough infection than those given Moderna (HR, 1.49 for those with SUD vs 1.45 for non-SUD patients).
Breakthrough infections greatly increased the risk of poor outcomes...
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The key aspect, if you're fully vaccinated and you're also recently abusing alcohol or abusing drugs...you've increased your risks of having a severe Covid infection if / when you have a breakthrough infection...
Seems to be similar to the risk factors for those Not Vaccinated and then having a first time Covid infection. I would not be surprised if the same risk factors exist in reinfections.
P.S. There was a recent story of a famous celebrity that was fully vaccinated that became infected with Covid...he died.
Not mentioned in the story was that he was an alcoholic.
wrbtrader
Oct. 6, 2021, at 8:03 a.m.
By Robert Preidt, HealthDay Reporter
"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," study co-author Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, said in an institute news release.
She said it's important to encourage folks with drug and alcohol problems to get vaccinated and to acknowledge that even after they do, they have a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and must take steps to protect themselves.
For the study, the researchers analyzed electronic health records of nearly 580,000 people in the United States who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 between Dec. 1, 2020 and Aug. 14, 2021, and who had not previously had COVID.
Seven percent of those with drug or alcohol problems had breakthrough infections, compared with 3.6% of those without substance use problems.
Infection rates ranged from 6.8% for tobacco users to 7.8% for those with cannabis use disorder.
Among people with substance use disorders who had a breakthrough infection, 22.5% were hospitalized, and 1.7% died, the study found. The rates were 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively, among people with drug and alcohol problems but no breakthrough infection.
- The researchers also found that the risk of severe outcomes after a breakthrough infection was higher in patients with substance use disorders than in others.
"From previous studies, we knew that people with substance use disorders may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and severe related outcomes," said study co-author Rong Xu, director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
"These results emphasize that, while the vaccine is essential and effective, some of these same risk factors still apply to breakthrough infections," Xu said in the release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on breakthrough infections.
SOURCE: U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, news release, Oct. 6, 2021
(HealthDay)
Cannabis abusers at 55% higher risk
Of SUD patients, the risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection ranged from 6.8% for patients with tobacco use disorder to 7.8% for those with cannabis use disorder, both significantly higher than 3.6% in the non-SUD group.
The risk remained higher after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, and vaccine types for all SUD subtypes except tobacco use disorder and was highest for those who abused cocaine and cannabis (hazard ratio
, 2.06 for cocaine, 1.39 for cannabis). This was despite the relative youth and greater chronic disease burden of the latter group, which the study authors said could be due to the effects of cannabis on lung and immune function.
When the researchers matched patients with and without SUD for chronic conditions and adverse socioeconomic determinants of health (eg, low educational level, unemployment or underemployment), the risk of breakthrough infection was not different, except for those with cannabis use disorder, who were still at 55% higher risk (HR, 1.55).
All subgroups of patients who received the Pfizer vaccine were at higher risk for breakthrough infection than those given Moderna (HR, 1.49 for those with SUD vs 1.45 for non-SUD patients).
Breakthrough infections greatly increased the risk of poor outcomes...
----------
The key aspect, if you're fully vaccinated and you're also recently abusing alcohol or abusing drugs...you've increased your risks of having a severe Covid infection if / when you have a breakthrough infection...
Seems to be similar to the risk factors for those Not Vaccinated and then having a first time Covid infection. I would not be surprised if the same risk factors exist in reinfections.
P.S. There was a recent story of a famous celebrity that was fully vaccinated that became infected with Covid...he died.
Not mentioned in the story was that he was an alcoholic.
wrbtrader
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