The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on needle and syringe programme provision and coverage in England
The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on needle and syringe programme provision and coverage in England
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DOI：
10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102851
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发表时间：
2020-09-01
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
Hope, Vivian
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Whitfield, Mark;Reed, Howard;Hope, Vivian
背景：为应对COVID-19而引入的限制带来了许多挑战，特别是对弱势和边缘化人群。这些措施包括继续提供针头和注射器方案，以减少与注射毒品有关的危害。NSP的有效性取决于覆盖范围，但封锁和社交距离限制了NSP的访问和可用性。使用增强的监测data.Method：通过一个已建立的全面的区域监测系统，从五个四周的时间段，集中在2020年3月中旬在英国实施的限制，收集的数据进行了检查。每周平均值进行比较，允许公众假期和每周的变化activity.Results：的限制导致NSP客户的数量下降了36%，访问36%，针头分发29%。注射精神活性药物者的NSP覆盖率减半，从2020年3月15日之前的4周每周14针下降到4月中旬的每周7针，此后覆盖率一直保持在这一水平。虽然目前还不清楚注射量是否有所下降，NSP覆盖率的下降是如此显著，几乎可以肯定地反映出需要的人的使用率下降，表明设备重复使用和风险增加。
Background: The restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19 present many challenges, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised populations. These include maintaining access to Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSPs) to reduce the harms associated with injecting drugs. NSPs effectiveness is coverage dependent, but lockdowns and social distancing limit NSP access and availability. The impact on NSP provision in England is explored using enhanced monitoring data.Method: Data collected through an established comprehensive regional monitoring system from five four-week periods, centred on the implementation of restrictions in the UK in mid-March 2020, are examined. Weekly averages are compared to allow for public holidays and weekly variation in activity.Results: The restrictions resulted in the number of NSP clients decreasing by 36%, visits by 36%, and needles distributed by 29%. NSP coverage for those injecting psychoactive drugs halved, declining from 14 needles per-week during the 4-weeks to 15th March 2020 to 7 needles per-week by mid-April, and coverage has remained at this level since then.Conclusions: Though it is currently unclear if there has been a decline in injecting, the decline in NSP coverage is so marked that it almost certainly reflects decreased utilisation among those in need, indicating increased equipment reuse and risk.