Overdoses, not COVID-19, drive spike in LA homeless deaths

A new report shows that almost 2,000 homeless individuals died in Los Angeles County during the first year of the pandemic, a boost of 56% from the previous year, driven mainly by drug overdosesByThe Associated PressApril 23, 2022, 9:01 PM – 3 minutes readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleLOS ANGELES– Nearly 2,000 homeless people passed away in Los Angeles County throughout the very first year of the pandemic, an increase of 56% from the previous year, driven generally by drug overdoses, authorities said.The findings released Friday in a report from the countys Department of Public Health revealed that despite initial worries, the infection itself was not the main culprit in deaths amongst Californias largest-in-the-nation unhoused population. It did cut individuals off from psychological health and substance abuse treatment after services were considerably decreased to prevent the spread of the virus.Between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, the county tape-recorded 1,988 deaths of homeless individuals, up from 1,271 deaths during the exact same duration a year previously, the report said.During both of those years, drug overdoses were the leading cause of death but increased by 78% during the pandemics very first year.”Young, Latino and Black people experiencing homelessness drove the increases in deadly overdoses, the report said.Coronary heart illness was the 2nd leading cause of death in the very first year of the pandemic, accounting for 309 deaths and a boost of nearly 30% from the previous year, the report stated.