After a long period of time where the world was ravaged by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with the emergence of vaccines and continued public health and safety protocols, for several months it seemed as if the world had a handle on COVID-19. Seemingly managed in during the springtime and into the summer, America began to open back up. More people were getting vaccinated, mask mandates were lifted, quarantines become almost non-existent, and life began to return to what seemed like a sense of normalcy. The hope everyone had yearned for since early 2020 seemed to take hold.
Unfortunately, as the later summer continued, the thread of the Delta variant, currently the predominate strain of the virus in the United States, has created a new wave of cases, deaths, and panic. The Delta variant, previously wreaking havoc in India and the United Kingdom, has overtaken communities throughout America. Cases are spiking daily and the death toll of Americans succumbing the COVID-19 is once again rising. For a quick understanding, in late June, the CDC 7-day moving average of reported cases was around 12,000. On July 27th, the 7-day moving average of cases reached over 60,000. These numbers are reminiscent of the case rates the CDC has seen in 2020, before the vaccines of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson was widely available to the public.
Now, as cases continue to rise, and the hot summer months will force more Americans inside into crowded, confined spaces in the late fall and winter months, there is a rising concern of worsening impact. Mask mandates are coming back. Social distancing initiatives are taking hold. And a large concern, one that has already been seen previously as the epidemic within the pandemic of substance misuse and mental health crises, is that need for Americans to find help for addiction and mental health concerns will continue.
Fortunately, for Americans suffering from addiction and substance use disorder, there is help available. As more and more Americans found themselves suffering during the first rise in COVID-19 from mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide, and substance misuse issues like out-of-control alcohol consumption or the misuse of prescription pills like opioids and benzodiazepines, addiction treatment providers and mental health practitioners have stepped in to offer help and support. Detoxes, addiction treatment centers, and mental health facilities implemented effective health and safety protocol in order to ensure that their doors stayed opened, and their patients and staff stayed healthy and safe. Effective treatment was delivered to those in need, while keeping COVID-19 at bay within the facilities.
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is more contagious than the original strain. Some date suggests that the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains of the coronavirus, especially in the unvaccinated. Breakthrough infections can more readily occur with the Delta variant in those that are vaccinated. Therefore, for us here at Innovo Detox, and for all addiction treatment centers and rehabs, it is important that we stay as vigilant as possible in updated health and safety protocols and making sure that patients are kept healthy and safe while still receiving the life saving medical and clinical care needed to overcome addiction.
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorders, please give us a call. Innovo Detox offers the latest in evidence-based medical, psychiatric, and clinical care for those in need of detox and medical stabilization in Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or a loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a detox, rehab, treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (717) 619-3260 or email our team at info@innovodetox.com. For more information on our company or services, please visit our website at www.innovodetox.com.