During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Opioid Overdose Deaths Revert to Previous Record Levels in Ohio

Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, states have had to confront a drug overdose problem associated with the pandemic. The objective of this study was to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the opioid epidemic in the state of Ohio by describing the changes in the quarterly opioid overdose deaths (OOD) over the last 10 years. Methods: This longitudinal study included OOD data from death records obtained through the Ohio Department of Health. Temporal trend analysis and visualizations were performed on the OOD death rate per 100,000 quarterly from 2010 to 2020. Age, sex, and ethnicity were also analyzed. Results: The OOD rate of 11.15 in Q2 of 2020 was statistically equivalent to the previous peak level of 10.87 in Q1 of 2017. There was a significant increase in the OOD rate from Q1 to Q2 of 2020 and a significant difference between the actual Q2 of 2020 OOD rate and the predicted OOD rate. The poisoning indicator fentanyl was present in 94% of OOD during Q2 of 2020. The total number of OOD remains highest in the White population. There was no significant difference between the actual and predicted OOD rates in the Black population of Q2 of 2020 based on the trend line. However, the OOD rate of 14.29 in Q2 of 2020 was significantly higher than the previous peak level of 8.34 in Q2 of 2017. The Q2 of 2020 OOD rates for 18 to 39 and 40+ age groups were significantly higher from what would be expected from the trend predictions. Conclusions: Based on these findings, Ohio has entered a COVID-19 pandemic mediated fourth wave in the opioid epidemic. These findings further suggest that as efforts are made to address the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, states need to maintain their vigilance toward combating the local opioid epidemic.