COVID-19 resources page
COVID-19 resources page for people who use drugs (PWUD) and drug service providers in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
On this page, the EMCDDA has compiled examples of advice being issued to people who use drugs (PWUD) and service providers by some national bodies and different associations, networks and NGOs in the early phase of the pandemic.
Last updated: 27 November 2020Useful links and resources for drug service providers
Service preparedness
- COVID-19 and addiction issues [German] (01.06.2020)
- Maintaining essential health services: operational guidance for the COVID-19 context [English] (01.06.2020)
- National Plan for Drugs / COVID-19 - Spain [Spanish] (07.05.2020)
- COVID-19: Working with vulnerable people [English] (01.05.2020)
- Helping people who use substances during the COVID-19 pandemic [English] (01.05.2020)
- Special measures for vulnerable groups with substance use disorders (SUD) during the Coronavirus epidemic - Norway [English] (01.05.2020)
- SWAPS 94 special edition: La réduction des risques à l’épreuve du Covid-19 [Covid-19 testing harm reduction] [French] (01.05.2020)
- Treatment, care and rehabilitation of people with drug use disorder in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic [English] (01.05.2020)
- Guidance for handling acute opioid withdrawals for doctors at hospitals and treatment centers [English] (29.04.2020)
- Covid-19 risk reduction and care professionals [French] (22.04.2020)
- COVID-19: guidance for commissioners and providers of services [English] (15.04.2020)
- Dutch national update on harm reduction and coronavirus (3 april 2020) [Dutch] (03.04.2020)
- Virtual recovery resources (SAMHSA) [English] (03.04.2020)
- COVID-19: recommended PPE for primary, outpatient, community and social care [English] (01.04.2020)
- COVID-19: Working with vulnerable people [English] (01.04.2020)
- Service continuity for vulnerable populations [French] (01.04.2020)
- Soutien, circulation et mise à l’abri des populations précaires – Instruction ministérielle (Fédéraction Addiction) [French] (01.04.2020)
- Addictions and COVID-19: Courses of action proposed by professionals (GREA and others, Switzerland) [French, German] (26.03.2020)
- Recomendações para a Intervenção com Cidadãos com Comportamentos Aditivos e Dependências inseridos em Programas Assistenciais: Tratamento e Redução de Riscos e Minimização de Danos (SICAD, Portugal) [Portuguese] (26.03.2020)
- Guidance on contingency planning for people who use drugs and COVID-19 [English] (23.03.2020)
- COVID-19 Resource Centre (Correlation Network) [English] (21.03.2020)
- Guidance for substance misuse and homelessness services (Wales) [English] (19.03.2020)
- Recommendations to addiction services in connection with COVID-19 (Czechia) [Czech] (16.03.2020)
- COVID-19 Guidance for settings for vulnerable groups (HPSC, Ireland) [English] (15.03.2020)
- Interim guidance for homeless service providers to plan and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC) [English] (09.03.2020)
- Risk mitigation in the context of dual public health emergencies [English] (01.03.2020)
- Virtual recovery resources [English] (01.03.2020)
Continuity of substitution treatment
- Risk mitigation in the context of dual public health emergencies (BCCSU) [English] (30.03.2020)
- Advice for health and justice healthcare teams on medicines and pharmacy services continuity (NHS, UK) [English] (27.03.2020)
- Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) and the COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations of the SSAM (Switzerland) [French, German, Italian] (23.03.2020)
- Modalités de prescription et délivrance des Traitements de substitution aux Opiacés adaptées à la situation (Féderation Addictions) [French] (20.03.2020)
- Information on opioid substitution and Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 - Advice for physicians (Germany) [English] (19.03.2020)
HIV and viral hepatitis
- Statement on risk of COVID-19 for people living with HIV (EACS & BHIVA ) [English, Russian] (25.05.2020)
- COVID-19: information for people living with viral hepatitis (WHA) [English] (02.04.2020)
- OFDT COVID-19 Bulletin nº 1 [French] (01.04.2020)
- What people living with HIV need to know about HIV and COVID-19 [English] (19.03.2020)
- Leaflet: information on COVID-19 for people with immunocompromising condition (ECDC) [English] (12.03.2020)
- COVID-19: HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for people who use drugs and people in prisons (UNODC) [English, Russian] (01.03.2020)
Useful links and advice for people who use drugs
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) - advice for people using drugs [English] (01.05.2020)
- SWAPS 94 special edition: La réduction des risques à l’épreuve du Covid-19 [Covid-19 testing harm reduction] [French] (01.05.2020)
- Virtual recovery resources (SAMHSA) [English] (03.04.2020)
- Coping With Stress, Anxiety, And Substance Use During Covid-19 [English] (01.04.2020)
- Os riscos de novo Coronavírus em comportamentos aditivos e dependências (SICAD, Portugal) [Portuguese] (01.04.2020)
- Epidémie de Covid-19 : plus que jamais la réduction des risques! (Drogues info service, France) [French] (25.03.2020)
- COVID-19 – Information flyer for people who inject drugs - Flyer (Scottish Drugs Forum) [English] (23.03.2020)
- COVID-19, tobacco, alcohol and drugs: risks and precautions (MILDECA, France) [French] (23.03.2020)
- Guidance on contingency planning for people who use drugs and COVID-19 (v1.0) (Scottish Drugs Forum) [English] (23.03.2020)
- COVID-19 Resource Centre (Correlation Network) [English] (21.03.2020)
- Guidance for people who use substances on COVID-19 (Yale University, USA) [English] (17.03.2020)
- Risk mitigation in the context of dual public health emergencies [English] (01.03.2020)
Useful links and resources for prison services
- Infection prevention and control and surveillance for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in prisons in EU/EEA countries and the UK [English] (08.07.2020)
- Prevention measures for drug users in prison [French] (01.04.2020)
- Press release: preventing COVID-19 outbreak in prisons: a challenging but essential task for authorities (WHO Europe) [English] (23.03.2020)
- Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention (2020) (WHO Europe) [English] (15.03.2020)
- COVID-19: HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for people who use drugs and people in prisons (UNODC) [English, Russian] (01.03.2020)
Resources related to vaccines
Other useful resources
- A global study of the escalation of substance use and its association with mental health symptoms during the early wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic [English] (01.06.2021)
- The double effect of COVID-19 confinement measures and economic recession on high-risk drug users and drug services [English] (21.01.2021)
- COVID-19, drug consumption and addiction in Spain [Spanish] (01.07.2020)
- COVID-19 and people who use drugs - The Pompidou Group’s Response Platform [English] (01.06.2020)
- COVID-19 In Vitro Diagnostic Devices and Test Methods Database [English] (01.06.2020)
- COVID-19 pandemic – National Rapid Guidance [English] (17.05.2020)
- Impact of the COVID-19-related lockdown on drug users and drug services providers in Luxembourg [French] (01.05.2020)
- OFDT COVID-19 Bulletin nº 2 [French] (01.05.2020)
- Virtual recovery resources (SAMHSA) [English] (03.04.2020)
- Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 in healthcare settings (ECDC) [English] (31.03.2020)
- Leaflet: information on COVID-19 for people with immunocompromising condition (ECDC) [English] (12.03.2020)
- Considerations relating to social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 epidemic (ECDC) [English] (11.03.2020)
- Dispositif Réduction des Risques à distance (RDR) [French] (01.03.2020)
More information
For all of our COVID-19 related material, please see our
Caveat
The EMCDDA is sharing the advice on this page for information purposes only and has not evaluated the content in detail. The EMCDDA does not endorse nor guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links, and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information. Every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the information on the EMCDDA website. However, things change all the time. If you discover any out-of-date links or if you know of other links that could be included, please let us know at this address: COVID19_PWUD@emcdda.europa.eu