Publications: COVID-19

Infographics to support smokers quit smoking in the times of COVID-19 (html)

Infographics to support smokers quit smoking and prevent the ex-smokers relapse back to smoking: now and in the foreseeable times of high levels of anxiety and stress in the community. Help prevent another significant health calamity after the covid pandemic. You can download and use the infographics: these are free for use for everyone, to help people stay away from cigarettes.

2020

EMCDDA

Trendspotter; EMCDDA COVID-19

EMCDDA trendspotter briefing - Impact of COVID-19 on drug services and help-seeking in Europe

Since the start of 2020, European countries have been experiencing an unprecedented public health threat with the emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In order to investigate the effects and implications of this outbreak for drug services in Europe, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction instigated a mixed-method trendspotter study to provide a snapshot of the current situation. This exercise provides a rapid assessment of the state of play in respect to the impact of COVID-19 on service provision and help-seeking behaviour among people who use drugs.

Drug scene, people who use drugs and addictological services during the COVID-19 emergency in the Czech Republic 1 (html)

2020

National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction

COVID19

Drug scene, people who use drugs and addictological services during the COVID-19 emergency in the Czech Republic 1

Rapid assessment of the current situation in the Czech Republic

Drug scene, people who use drugs and addictological services during the COVID-19 emergency in the Czech Republic 2 (pdf)

2020

National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction

COVID20

Drug scene, people who use drugs and addictological services during the COVID-19 emergency in the Czech Republic 2

Rapid assessment of the current situation in the Czech Republic

Interruption and Innovation: The impact of policy measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on key and vulnerable populations for HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (pdf)

2020

AFEW International

COVID-19 Hep C Hep B TB HIV Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Interruption and Innovation: The impact of policy measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on key and vulnerable populations for HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

NLO briefing paperCOVID-19 in marginalised groups:challenges, actions and voices (pdf)

2020

NLO

COVID-19; Marginalised Groups; Challenges

NLO briefing paperCOVID-19 in marginalised groups:challenges, actions and voices

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis for governments, health systems and societies at large, and has severely impacted the health, lives and livelihood of millions of people worldwide.

Marginalised groups are among people the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet are among the least protected from it by governmental actions to date. Indeed, the COVID-19 crisis has brought into sharp focus the stark inequities that exist in access to health and social support services for marginalised people who live precariously in Europe, often outside formal healthcare systems and social, labour and legal protection measures.

The Nobody Left Outside coalition has developed this briefing paper for the WHO European Office for Investment for Health

Voices of Frontline Workers Harm Reduction Responses in the European Region During the COVID-19 Pandemic (pdf)

2020

Correlation European Harm Reduction Network

Covid-19 Frontline Workers Lesons Learned Crisis

Voices of Frontline Workers Harm Reduction Responses in the European Region During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This Correlation European Harm Reduction Network
(C-EHRN) report on the impact of COVID-19 on vital
harm reduction services seeks to bring these voices
of front-line workers at drug consumption rooms
(DCR’s), harm reduction outreach teams and
PWUD themselves to highlight their experiences
during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lessons from COVID-19to reshape a sustainable response to HIV, TBand HCV among inadequately served populationsin the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (pdf)

2020

Alliance for Public Health

Lessons Learned; COVID-10; HCV TB and HCV

Lessons from COVID-19to reshape a sustainable response to HIV, TBand HCV among inadequately served populationsin the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems around the world have to become more robust, flexible, and results-oriented.Changes have been made in the approach that some health systems have taken to the delivery of a range of services, including interventions for the management of HIV and opioid dependence as well as the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and viral hepatitis C (HCV) among key population groups. Many of these changes have been welcomed by communities, with a window of opportunity to revisit and refresh issues of drug use regulations, policing, amnesty for people in prisons and other closed settings.

“THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA” (pdf)

2020

AFEW International

“THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA”

In August 2020 AFEW International conducted a questionnaire among Civil Society Organisations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to measure the impact of COVID-19 on CSOs in the region. The results of the survey are now published in the report “The impact of COVID-19 on civil society organisations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia”.

Updates and Guidance on COVID-19 Pandemic

Situation Update for the EU/EEA and the UK

EU Coronavirus Response Website

How Harm Reducers Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe?

8 Corona-Tips voor Mensen die Drugs Gebruiken

Guidance on Contingency Planning for People who Use Drugs and COVID-19 (v1.0)

Consumo de Sustancias Psycoactivas en Cuarentena

2020

Zurich Drug Consumption Rooms

Party & Drugs in the Time of Coronavirus

Guidance for Substance Misuse and Homelessness Services (v1.0)

COVID-19 Guidance: Clinicians & Opioid Treatment Programs

COVID-19 Guidance: Patients Engaged in Substance Use Treatment

Guidance for People Who Use Substances on COVID-19

An Open Letter on COVID-19 and PWUD

Guidance on Preparedness, Prevention & Control of COVID-19 in Prisons & Places of Detention

Harm Reduction for People Who Use Drugs

Basic Protective Measures Against the New Coronavirus (html)

2020

Drug Policy Network SEE

COVID-19

Basic Protective Measures Against the New Coronavirus

COVID-19 – Guidance for People Who Use Drugs & Harm Reduction Programs

Coronavirus – General Hygiene Harm Reduction Tips

Rights in the time of COVID-19. Lessons from HIV for an effective, community-led response

Harm Reduction Must Go On

Human Rights Dimensions of COVID-19 Response

Prisoners Rights Matter! Statement (html)

2020

Global Rights / Susanna Ronconni

COVID-19

Prisoners Rights Matter! Statement

COVID-19: “Staying Home” Not an Option for People Experiencing Homelessness </span>

COVID-19: Sex Workers Need Immediate Financial Support and Protection

Coronavirus: Healthcare and Human Rights of People in Prison (pdf)

2020

Penal Reform International

COVID-19

Coronavirus: Healthcare and Human Rights of People in Prison

Podcast: Emergency Measures

Webinar Series on COVID-19 and Substance Dependence

Webinar: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and the COVID-19 (html)

2020

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts

COVID-19

Webinar: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and the COVID-19

Webinar: Harm Reduction, COVID-19, and People Who Use Drugs

Podcast: How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety | Special Edition</span> (html)

2020

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

COVID-19

Podcast: How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety | Special Edition</span>

Coronavirus: Wisdom from a Social Justice Len

Preventing COVID-19 outbreak in prisons: a challenging but essential task for authorities

2020

COVID-19

COVID-19 and people who use drugs - The Pompidou Group’s Response Platform

Call to action in response to COVID-19 (pdf)

2020

WHO Regional Office for Europe

COVID-19

Call to action in response to COVID-19

2020

WHO Regional Office for Europe

COVID-19

Call to action in response to COVID-19 (Russian)

Role of cigarette smoke on ACE-2 protein membrane expression in bronchial epithelial cells using an air-liquid interface model

Prevalence studies of current smoking, among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, demonstrated an unexpectedly low prevalence among patients with COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of smoke from cigarettes on ACE-2 in bronchial epithelial cells. Normal bronchial epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to smoke by an air-liquid-interface (ALI) system and ACE-2 membrane protein expression was evaluated after 24 hours from exposure. Our transcriptomics data analysis showed a significant selective reduction of membrane ACE-2 expression (about 25%) following smoking exposure. Interestingly, we observed a positive direct correlation between ACE-2 reduction and nicotine delivery. Furthermore, by stratifying GSE52237 as a function of ACE-2 gene expression levels, we highlighted 1012 genes related to ACE-2 in smokers and 855 in non-smokers. Furthermore, we showed that 161 genes involved in the endocytosis process were highlighted using the online pathway tool KEGG. Finally, 11 genes were in common between the ACE-2 pathway in smokers and the genes regulated during endocytosis, while 12 genes with non-smokers. Interestingly, six in non-smokers and four genes in smokers were closely involved during the viral internalization process. Our data may offer a pharmaceutical role of nicotine as potential treatment option in COVID-19.

Harm reduction service delivery to people who use drugs during a public health emergency: Examples from the COVID-19 pandemic in selected countries (pdf)

2020

EHRA

Harm reduction service delivery to people who use drugs during a public health emergency: Examples from the COVID-19 pandemic in selected countries

In some countries, there has been a positive recognition to the needs of people sleeping rough and their vulnerabilities during a public health emergency. It is incumbent upon governments to work with local partners to ensure that rapid responses to the housing of people sleeping rough addresses the often complex needs of such people through an interdisciplinary approach so that their immediate and longer-term medical, psycho-social and economic needs are integrated into the provision of accommodation. This can be accomplished through partnerships built with other stakeholders during normal times and by having multidisciplinary teams, that include mental health staff, working on the streets with people sleeping rough. Such responses to homelessness and rough sleeping during a public health emergency is an opportunity to advocate at all levels of government for a longerterm strategy to comprehensively and holistically address such issues, together with long-term sustainable funding to implement such a plan. Furthermore, it is vital to ensure that there is a buffer stock of vital medicines already in-country for at least the forthcoming 3-6 months; this applies to all sectors of society and particularly those medications most in need by vulnerable and marginalised individuals and communities – including the treatment of TB and HCV (especially Direct-Acting Antivirals) as well as for HIV (antiretrovirals) and Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST, meaning methadone and/or buprenorphine), as well as naloxone for opioid overdose.

CIVIL SOCIETY MONITORING OF HARM REDUCTION IN EUROPE 2020

Please note: there are various version of this report if you click on the file!

This is the second civil society-led monitoring report produced by Correlation – European Harm Reduction Network (C-EHRN). The purpose of this report is to enrich the information and knowledge base of harm reduction interventions in Europe from the viewpoint of civil society organisations. The Monitoring report gathers data on the experiences of harm reduction service providers and service users at ground level, building on a network of national Focal Points (FPs) in Europe. For the 2020 monitoring, C-EHRN includes 35 FPs in 34 countries. To get insight at the implementation level, and to profit from the experiences and expertise of FPs, the 2020 monitoring focuses mostly on cities rather than countries. The main areas monitored are: essential harm reduction services, overdose prevention, Hepatitis C, New drug Trends, Civil Society Involvement and COVID-19 impact on harm reduction services and people who use drugs.

New psychoactive substances: global markets, glocal threats and the COVID-19 pandemic (pdf)

2020

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

NPS global markets COVID-19

New psychoactive substances: global markets, glocal threats and the COVID-19 pandemic

A growing number of highly potent substances that pose a high risk of acute poisoning are also being reported. These include synthetic cannabinoids, opioids, benzodiazepines and a range of other substances.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the importance of ‘complex, transboundary, multifactorial’ approaches to tackling health challenges, the need to strengthen health security and the interconnected nature of health in our globalised world.

The effect of the pandemic on the drug situation, including the new psychoactive substances market, is likely to become increasingly important as countries in Europe face the second wave of the outbreak during autumn and winter 2020 and into 2021.

2021

EMCDDA

Impact of COVID-19 on drug markets, use, harms and drug services in the community and prisons. Results from an EMCDDA trendspotter study April 2021

In the third in its series of rapid ‘trendspotter’ studies, the EMCDDA explores the impact of COVID-19 on the drug situation and responses to it. Revisiting and reviewing findings from two studies in 2020 on the effects of the pandemic on drug use and services, the report identifies new trends and developments which may have implications for policy and practice. The report explores the situation in the EU Member States from June 2020 to February 2021, particularly changes in drug markets, patterns of use, harms and drug services, both in the community and in prisons.

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