Therefore, consumption should be moderate in general, and especially during the pandemic [24]. In contrast, Nielsen IQ reported [25] a 477 % increase in online alcohol sales by end of April 2020. Social stressors include social isolation, unemployment, frontline work such as in a hospital, working from home, management of children’s schooling, as well as loss of loved ones, constrained financial resources and/or emotional and social support. Alcohol-related disorders are a major social problem especially during the COVID-19 pandemic [27]. In line with these findings, a recently published study on alcohol consumption during the pandemic in US, conducted among 1,540 people aged between 30 and 80 years, showed that Americans drank about 14 % more alcohol this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2019. Thus, an alarming increase, more pronounced among women shows a 17 % increase in alcohol consumption among women and a 19 % increase among people aged between 30 and 60.
Obesity, another modifiable risk factor, has also been investigated with emerging evidence of an association [6, 7]. Obesity is closely related to two behavioural risk factors—poor diet and lack of physical activity [5]. Alcohol consumption has not been granted much attention, although several studies have reported that alcohol consumption increased the risk of ARDS in patients with critical conditions and the admission to intensive care unit (ICU) in patients with pneumonia [8, 9, 10]. At the time of writing, to our knowledge, no published study exploring the risk factors of disease severity in COVID‐19 patients has included alcohol consumption as a covariate. In the United Kingdom, a cross-sectional study performed on 691 adults, showed that 17 % of them reported increased alcohol consumption during the lockdown, with a higher proportion in younger subjects (18–34 years).
Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic
There was a significant association between increased alcohol consumption and poor overall mental health, depressive symptoms, and lower mental wellbeing [38]. These effects of alcohol consumption have important implications for the management of patients with COVID‐19. History of alcohol use could be an important predictor for disease severity and ICU admission, and could contribute to treatment strategy for COVID‐19 patients with chronic alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorders (AUDs).
Have researchers found any trends in alcohol-related deaths and health problems during the pandemic?
This connection could provide insights into how long COVID might contribute to alcohol intolerance. In a March 2021 blog post, neurologist Georgia Lea discussed the potential connection between long COVID, specifically the alcohol gallbladder PVFS type, and alcohol intolerance. Facing the COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease) pandemic, countries must take decisive action to stop the spread of the virus.
How does drinking alcohol affect the body when you have an active COVID-19 infection?
But after her infection, she found herself unable to tolerate even small amounts of alcohol, experiencing unpleasant sensations like lightheadedness, sluggishness, and queasiness after just a few sips. Learn how NIH has improved basic understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and sped up the development of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and testing. This review looks at alcohol-related policies during the COVID-19 pandemic across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This webpage provides guidance about no-cost extensions, with or without funds, to NIH Pathway to Independence Awards (K99/R00) and Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Fellowships. Specialists from the World Health Organization have warned against the consumption of alcohol for therapeutic purposes [77]. Always check the label on medications for possible interactions with alcohol.
Researchers compared the number of alcohol-related deaths in 2019 against the number of similar deaths in 2020. The incidence of alcohol-related death was then compared with all other causes of death during that period of time. Some people describe feeling sick after consuming only a small amount of alcohol, while others report experiencing hangover-like symptoms that seem disproportionate to their alcohol intake. There’s growing evidence that it may be a unique symptom of long COVID, particularly the post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) type.
Myth 3: Alcohol on the breath kills the virus in the air
Other interesting examples may be the decrease of alcohol consumption in college students, after the campus closure, the main explanation being that they got back home, to live with their families, with less social events and binge drinking [46,47]. In Eastern Europe, a research project implemented in Poland has shown an increase in alcohol consumption in 146%, with a higher tendency to drink more found among the subjects with previous alcohol addiction [42]. According to the European World Health alcoholism and narcissism Organization (WHO), alcohol does not protect against infection or illness relating to COVID-19.
- The danger is even greater for those diagnosed with psychological or psychiatric pathologies, as often the concomitant administration of psychotropic medication and alcohol is contraindicated [34].
- Many policy changes and trends are likely to continue long after the pandemic ends, increasing the risk of alcohol-related problems.
- Another important factor is malnutrition secondary to excessive alcohol intake [62].
- It can also increase the risk of certain infectious diseases, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis.
- But after her infection, she found herself unable to tolerate even small amounts of alcohol, experiencing unpleasant sensations like lightheadedness, sluggishness, and queasiness after just a few sips.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus, alcohol consumption is a way to relax for many people, but it is important to know that alcohol can increase the vulnerability of the individual, both physically and mentally. The last but not the least is the reverse analysis – how alcohol use disorder may influence the way of dealing with the pandemic from the personal safety perspective. However, the 2021 study mentioned above suggests that people who drink alcohol often are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during COVID-19 hospitalization. For example, some research suggests that poor sleep can make long COVID worse, and difficulty sleeping is a common side effect of drinking alcohol. In the meantime, healthcare providers should take alcohol intolerance into account when evaluating and treating post-COVID symptoms. With other disasters, we’ve seen that these spikes in drinking last 5 or 6 years and then alcohol consumption slowly returns to usual levels.
Parental model regarding the drinking behaviors can play a major role in the intergenerational transmission of excessive alcohol consumption [79]. In fact, it is possible that excessive alcohol consumption can substance abuse group activities increase the risk of developing COVID-19-induced illness, as this can affect the immune system. People who develop a severe illness from COVID-19 are at risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
What Are the Effects of Drinking Alcohol with COVID-19?
We hope that the high rates of alcohol use and negative health effects will decline over time as we return to more typical interactions with each other. To cope, many people turned to alcohol despite the risk of developing alcohol-related problems, including problem drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Severe illness, grief, isolation, disrupted schooling, job loss, economic hardship, shortages of food and supplies, mental health problems, and limited access to health care — these are just some of the sources of stress people faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the scale of its consequences and the huge stress-related burden, COVID-19 pandemic can be considered as a mass trauma, which can lead to psychological problems, health behavior changes, and addictive issues, including alcohol consumption [16,17]. Around 20% of people with a social anxiety disorder experience alcohol use disorder.
In fact, it is possible that alcohol consumption may increase the chance of developing severe illness as a result of COVID-19. At the same time, people with active alcohol use disorder shouldn’t suddenly stop drinking without medical supervision, as alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous. We spoke with George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), to learn about the pandemic’s effects on alcohol use and related harms. Koob is an expert on the biology of alcohol and drug addiction and has been studying the impact of alcohol on the brain for more than 50 years. He is a national leader in efforts to prevent and treat AUD and to educate people about risky alcohol use. According to the false information circulated recently, the ingestion of alcohol would have helped to destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
This may be because alcohol use can weaken your immune system, making you more prone to infectious diseases. Fear and misinformation have generated a dangerous myth that consuming high-strength alcohol can kill the COVID-19 virus. Consuming any alcohol poses health risks, but consuming high-strength ethyl alcohol (ethanol), particularly if it has been adulterated with methanol, can result in severe health consequences, including death.
Although the history of alcohol abuse is as old as its production, alcohol consumption has become a public health problem since the 18th and 19th centuries, with the impoverishment of industrial workers. Ethanol in the form of alcoholic beverages is obtained by fermentation of sugars from cereals and fruits, while ethanol used in the production of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, disinfectants, food additives, preservatives and fuels is obtained mostly by petrochemical processes [18]. A 2021 study found that people who drink at least once a week are more likely to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during COVID-19 hospitalization.
Alcohol use and alcohol-related deaths increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Treatment for long COVID, including symptoms like alcohol intolerance, typically involves a multidisciplinary approach aimed at managing specific symptoms and improving overall well-being. However, due to the limited available data on post-COVID-19 alcohol intolerance, it’s unclear whether it’s a temporary or long-term symptom. Further research is needed to establish a clearer understanding of this phenomenon.