[BostonCard]

What about the other impact of strict lockdowns?  The vast mental health cost being one.  I just don’t think it’s as simple as “blunt tools are overdue”.  I heard someone on KCBS talking about the higher incidence of drug overdoses.  In SF there have been about 175 deaths from Covid. During the same period, according to this person (sorry I didn’t catch the name) over 600 overdose deaths.  I realize SF is not indicative of the state, much less the country, on this.  But the mental health strain has been significant.  And if spectator TV sports (as I believe) helps on that front, than that is important as well.

The best way to have dealt with this virus is to do so early and decisively.  Then you drive the virus levels so low that you can deal with small outbreaks with precision and allow the economy to otherwise reopen with minimal restrictions.

Instead, after a promising start in the spring, we tried to have it halfway, and in so doing wound up with both half-assed restrictions that many people are ignoring and a lots of COVID-19.  Sad.

BC

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What is the baseline for overdose deaths during the same period year over year?



It would be interesting to know the impact of strict lockdowns. Something that hasn't been tried yet.

There have been 67,000 overdose deaths per year (about 5000 of which happened in California), on average, and, unfortunately, the trend has been going up.  That number has been exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/...id-19.html

It looks like from June 2019 to May 2020, there were 81,000 overdose deaths, and that is only a small part of the pandemic.  I wouldn't be surprised if by the time this is over we see about 30,000 more overdose deaths in the US in 2020 than in earlier years.

BC

[BostonCard]

What about the other impact of strict lockdowns?  The vast mental health cost being one.  I just don’t think it’s as simple as “blunt tools are overdue”.  I heard someone on KCBS talking about the higher incidence of drug overdoses.  In SF there have been about 175 deaths from Covid. During the same period, according to this person (sorry I didn’t catch the name) over 600 overdose deaths.  I realize SF is not indicative of the state, much less the country, on this.  But the mental health strain has been significant.  And if spectator TV sports (as I believe) helps on that front, than that is important as well.

The best way to have dealt with this virus is to do so early and decisively.  Then you drive the virus levels so low that you can deal with small outbreaks with precision and allow the economy to otherwise reopen with minimal restrictions.

Instead, after a promising start in the spring, we tried to have it halfway, and in so doing wound up with both half-assed restrictions that many people are ignoring and a lots of COVID-19.  Sad.

BC

---

What is the baseline for overdose deaths during the same period year over year?



It would be interesting to know the impact of strict lockdowns. Something that hasn't been tried yet.

There have been 67,000 overdose deaths per year (about 5000 of which happened in California), on average, and, unfortunately, the trend has been going up.  That number has been exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic:

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/...id-19.html

It looks like from June 2019 to May 2020, there were 81,000 overdose deaths, and that is only a small part of the pandemic.  I wouldn't be surprised if by the time this is over we see about 30,000 more overdose deaths in the US in 2020 than in earlier years.

BC