ArticleHarm reduction journal2020
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on harm reduction services in Spain.
Article in Harm reduction journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.
- Access and use of general and mental health services before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Understanding the Impacts of Novel Coronavirus Outbreaks on People Who Use Drugs: A Systematic Review to Inform Practice and Drug Policy Responses to COVID-19.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The impact of COVID-19 on people who inject drugs in New York City: increased risk and decreased access to services.Harm reduction journal · 2021Trial
- Changing trends in drug overdose mortality in Spain, 2001-2022.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Observational
- Key and evolving needs of service providers in women's harm reduction centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- City-level drug policies in Portugal: the COVID-19 pandemic as an analyzer of harm reduction responsiveness in Porto and Lisbon.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Barriers to and impacts of hepatitis C treatment among people who inject drugs in Kenya: A qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Disparities in healthcare costs of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto, Canada in the post COVID-19 pandemic era: a matched cohort study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Changes in opioid treatment programs and harm reduction provider services during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from 10 states.Psychological services · 2024Article
- Challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's HIV harm reduction centers: a mixed-methods study.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- Disparities in all-cause mortality among people experiencing homelessness in Toronto, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cohort study.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- [Impacto de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en los sistemas de vigilancia epidemiologica de la infección por vih en España.]Revista espanola de salud publica · 2023Article
- Combined COVID-19 vaccination and hepatitis C virus screening intervention in marginalised populations in Spain.Communications medicine · 2023Article
- A Hybrid Algorithm of ML and XAI to Prevent Breast Cancer: A Strategy to Support Decision Making.Cancers · 2023Article
- Remote harm reduction services are key solutions to reduce the impact of COVID-19-like crises on people who use drugs: evidence from two independent structures in France and in the USA.Harm reduction journal · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and anti-pandemic measures on tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and malaria-A systematic review.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Substance use, racial/ethnic identity, and suicidal ideation during COVID-19 lockdown in an international adult sample.Journal of psychiatric research · 2022Article
- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on harm reduction services in Catalonia: the experience of people who use drugs and harm reduction professionals.Harm reduction journal · 2022Article
- Health service utilisation and access for people who inject drugs during COVID-19.Drug and alcohol review · 2022Review
- Impact of COVID-19 on substance use disorder treatment services in Kenya: Qualitative findings from healthcare providers.The International journal on drug policy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundContainment policies and other restrictions introduced by the Spanish government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic present challenges for marginalised populations, such as people who use drugs. Harm reduction centres are often linked to social services, mental health services, and infectious disease testing, in addition to tools and services that help to reduce the harms associated with injecting drugs. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on these services in four autonomous communities in Spain.
methodsThis is a cross-sectional study that employed a seven-section structured survey administered electronically to 20 centres in July 2020. Data from the most heavily affected months (March-June) in 2020 were compared to data from the same period in 2019. Averages were calculated with their ranges, rates, and absolute numbers.
resultsAll 11 responding centres reported having had to adapt or modify their services during the Spanish state of alarm (14 March-21 June 2020). One centre reported complete closure for 2 months and four reported increases in their operating hours. The average number of service users across all centres decreased by 22% in comparison to the same period in the previous year and the average needle distribution decreased by 40% in comparison to 2019. Most centres reported a decrease in infectious disease testing rates (hepatitis B and C viruses, human immunodeficiency virus, and tuberculosis) for March, April, and May in 2020 compared to the previous year. Reported deaths as a result of overdose did not increase during the state of alarm, but 2/11 (18%) centres reported an increase in overdose deaths immediately after finalisation of the state of alarm.
conclusionOverall, Spanish harm reduction centres were able to continue operating and offering services by adjusting operating hours. The number of overall service users and needles distributed fell during the Spanish state of alarm lockdown period, suggesting that fewer clients accessed harm reduction services during this time, putting them at greater risk of reusing or sharing injecting equipment, overdosing, acquiring infectious diseases with decreased access to testing or discontinuing ongoing treatment such as methadone maintenance therapy, hepatitis C treatment, or antiretroviral therapy.
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