COVID-19 restrictions and increased risk of overdose for street-based people with opioid dependence in South Africa

Abstract

The placement of street-based people in temporary shelters as part of South Africa (SA)’s lockdown efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic increases the risk of overdose among people who are dependent on heroin. The number of street-based heroin-dependent people is unknown, but many of the country’s estimated 75 000 people who inject drugs live on the street and inject heroin, and many more smoke it (known locally as nyaope, whoonga and unga).