Although we did not observe an immediate increase in opioid-related toxicity deaths in shelters in the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rapid increase in opioid-related toxicity deaths beginning in 2021, with 82 deaths occurring in that year, compared to 38 in the year prior (2020). [...] 15 Discussion Rising Opioid-Related Toxicity Deaths in Shelters During the Pandemic Opioid-related toxicity deaths within Ontario shelters have grown considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of these deaths more than tripling in the province in the first 14 months of the pandemic (48 pre- pandemic up to 162 during the pandemic period). [...] We also observed rising stimulant involvement and increasing benzodiazepine detection in deaths, mirroring patterns observed in the broader Ontario population during the pandemic.16 This rising prevalence of involvement and detection of non-opioid substances in opioid-related toxicity deaths further highlights the importance of increasing the availability of overdose response tools and supports wi. [...] Conclusion The findings of this report reinforce the disproportionate impact of the opioid toxicity crisis on the population of people who are vulnerably housed, demonstrating the rising trends of these deaths occurring within shelters, and highlighting the need for a comprehensive response. [...] We also acknowledge the Office of the Chief Coroner and ICES for their contributions to the methodology, and ICES for the use of their data and analytic support.
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Table of Contents
- Background 3
- Methods 4
- Setting 4
- Data Sources 4
- Measures 5
- Analysis 6
- Key Findings 7
- Overall Opioid-Related Toxicity Deaths 7
- Geographic Distribution 8
- Demographic Characteristics and Circumstances Surrounding Deaths 9
- Interactions with the Healthcare System Prior to Opioid-Related Toxicity Deaths 13
- Limitations 15
- Discussion 16
- Conclusion 19
- Contributors 19
- Funding 20
- A Report Prepared by: 20
- Acknowledgments 21
- Disclaimer 21
- Office of the Chief Coroner – Privacy Statement 22
- How to Cite this Document 22
- Contact 22
- References 23
- Appendix A: Glossary 24
- Appendix B: Diagnosis Codes Used to Identify Healthcare Encounters and Health Conditions 26
- Table B1: Health Conditions: History of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) 26
- Table B2: Health Encounters 26
- Table B3: Health Conditions: History of a Mental Health-Related Healthcare Encounter 27
- Table B4. Health Conditions: Recent Healthcare Encounter for Infective Endocarditis 28
- Table B5: Health Conditions: Recent Healthcare Encounter for an Invasive Infection 29
