Deaths from drug overdoses in San Francisco this year exceeded the number of COVID-19 deaths by a margin of three to one, as deaths from the powerful analgesic fentanyl increased.
In 2020 alone, 621 people died from drug overdoses in San Francisco, while the number of coronavirus deaths was 173, the Associated Press reported.
According to local San Francisco Chronicle reports, the city’s Drug Overdose Prevention and Education (DOPE) project used Narcan 3,000 times this year from January to November to rescue people who nearly died from fentanyl overdose or of substances associated with opioid abuse.
DOPE added that the numbers probably rule out multiple Narcan use accounts, as their records only count self-reports.
Narcan is a nasal spray used to reverse the effects of opioid overdose in critical situations where the user could die if left untreated.
About 441 people died in San Francisco last year from drug overdoses, a 70 percent increase from 2018. In addition, Narcan was distributed to 2,610 people in the city in 2019.
Experts said the crisis stemmed from a spill of fentanyl in large cities.
Nationwide, the United States is approaching 320,000 COVID-19 deaths.
At the same time, the opioid epidemic has worsened, although reported deaths are lower than those of COVID-19.
While all data for 2020 are not yet available to the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week released more than 81,000 drug overdose deaths in the 12 months ending in May, indicating the highest level in a one year, the AP reported.