Ottawa: According to the newly released data, opioids killed more people in second year of the Covid-19 pandemic compared to the first.
The data indicates that there was a dramatic jump in deaths in both years compared to pre-pandemic. But there was a decline in opioid deaths in the Ontario in March 2022.
The information revealed that eight people died per day in the second year of Covid-19 pandemic. From April 2021 to March 2022, 2,790 opioid-related deaths were reported as compared to 2,727 deaths recorded in the first year of the pandemic.
In 2019,opioids had killed 1559 people in the province, about four people per day.
Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s chief coroner said that it is ongoing and it is bad. It got heck of a lot worse during the Covid pandemic.
The data also revealed that there was a 10 per cent decline in the death rate in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year.
The data is considered preliminary as it includes both probable and confirmed opioid related deaths.
The data is considered preliminary because it includes both confirmed and probable opioid-related deaths, and is subject to change, Huyer said.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s chief coroner also said that about two people in a day have been succumbing to the COVID-19 virus at their residence in the last two weeks because symptoms can progress quickly with more contagious and dangerous variants.