Safe injection sites: Coronavirus underlines why they make sense
The most crucial feature of these programs during the coronavirus pandemic is that these programs offer testing
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
As cases of COVID-19 infections and fatalities begin to surge, an aggressive testing campaign is finally getting underway across the nation. Americans are urged to practice “social distancing,” and self-quarantining. Unfortunately, these essential public health strategies are not reaching the population of people addicted to injectable drugs, threatening everyone’s health. Needle exchange programs and safe injection sites bring these desperately-needed interventions to that community. Perhaps most importantly, they can ensure that these users are tested for COVID-19. Many people who inject drugs are immunocompromised, malnourished, and live on the streets. They are therefore more vulnerable to a severe and fatal infection. (See also: How harm reduction is responding to the pandemic)
