Pandemic Meets Epidemic: COVID-19 and the Opioid Crisis

As cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to spread across the U.S., the newly launched UCLA Hub for Health Intervention, Policy and Practice (HHIPP) remains committed to exploring the ways in which intersecting health issues impact society’s most vulnerable. Drawing from our recent community-based survey of opioid users in three major U.S. cities – Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlanta — we will examine connections between COVID-19 and the opioid crisis. This Luskin Summit webinar will examine a constellation of structural determinants of health (e.g., poverty, homelessness, lack of health insurance), and co-occurring health issues (e.g., HIV, HCV, tobacco use) on opioid users. We will discuss how current social welfare programs and policies may be leveraged to promote health equity during these unprecedented times.