University of Tennessee at Chattanooga/Erlanger Health System
Question
Asked 8 June 2020
Deleted profile
Any data from United States about COVID-19 transmission through shared injection drug use?
There is no relevant data currently available from United States or Western countries about COVID-19 spread among injection drug user population.
Is this spread due to aerosol spread from close contact or blood contact through infected needles?
Most recent answer
Hina Akbar
Only possible mode of transmission could be aerosolization spread during close contact.Otherwise no blood culture data available to suggest COVID infection through blood contact via transfusions or IVDU.
Atleast that is what i think. Happy to see any data if shared.
All Answers (8)
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga/Erlanger Health System
Hina Akbar
No data yet available as same issue applies to HCV, HBV and HIV spread also.Following link maybe useful
Thank you for sharing Arslan Kahloon
I feel and hypothesize that close contact between injection drug users is a major risk factor for COVID-19 spread among prisons and homeless population using IV drugs.
Large metropolis (e.g San Francisco) ceased distribution of clean needles and pipes which would be majorly detrimental. No published data exists currently. George Cholankeril Paulo Eduardo Ocke Reis
King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS)
COVID-19 does not spread by blood transfusion, evidence from a case report
There is case report from China in a 21-year-old man with aplastic anemia who received platelet transfusion from an individual who was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19 one day later (1). However, the platelet recipient did not develop COVID-19.
This case indicates that COVID-19 does not spread by transfusion or by needle stick injury. The spread of COVID-19 among addicts in prisons has been possibly due to droplet infection or fomites from untested asymptomatic prisoners.
2 Recommendations
Muhammad Yousuf Thank you for sharing.
This is great piece of information.
It is true that CDC and Blood Assurance has not come up with any guidelines related to COVID-19 and wonder if during active infection or contagious phase, virions are actually found in blood samples.
if this is the case, then recipients should develop at least a viral prodrome with sickness and some sickness.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga/Erlanger Health System
Hina Akbar
Muhammad Yousuf Blood assurance is actively seeking plasma from recovered COVID patients. I know this is going off topic but so far none of such projects have not presented guidelines against use of IV drug needles. They only recommend routine precautions.
see below:
Akshay Kumar Any reference you are able to find?
Arslan Kahloon Blood assurance situation is slightly different that IV drug use programs. I am surprised that no data is available in literature as to what is the infection and transmission rate in these high risks groups and if it led to cluster of infection is such communities.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga/Erlanger Health System
Hina Akbar
Only possible mode of transmission could be aerosolization spread during close contact.Otherwise no blood culture data available to suggest COVID infection through blood contact via transfusions or IVDU.
Atleast that is what i think. Happy to see any data if shared.
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