Submitted:
03 July 2020
Posted:
05 July 2020
You are already at the latest version
Preprints on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2
Abstract
As the world endures the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, conditions of 35 million vulnerable individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide have not received sufficient attention for their special health and medical needs. Many of these individuals are complicated by underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular and lung diseases and undermined immune systems. During the pandemic, access to the healthcare systems and support groups is greatly diminished. Current research on COVID-19 has not addressed the unique challenges facing individuals with SUDs, including the heightened vulnerability and susceptibility to the disease. In this systematic review, we will discuss the pathogenesis and pathology of COVID-19, and highlight potential risk factors and complications to these individuals. We will also provide insights and considerations for COVID-19 treatment and prevention in patients with SUDs.
Keywords:
COVID-19
; SARS-CoV-2
; Coronavirus
; Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
; Immunology
; Neuroinflammation
; Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)
; hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis
Copyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.
