Table. Drug Overdose Death Characteristics in San Francisco, California, in 8.5 Months Before and After COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place Health Order.
| Characteristic | Unintentional overdose deaths, No. (%) | P valuea | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2019, to March 16 2020 | March 17 to Novenver 30, 2020 | ||
| Total overdose deaths, No. | 365 | 537 | <.001 |
| Median overdose deaths per week (IQR) | 10 (7-12) | 15 (11-18) | <.001 |
| Demographic characteristics | |||
| Age group, y | |||
| <15 | 0 | 0 | .85 |
| 15-24 | 12 (3) | 19 (4) | |
| 25-44 | 139 (38) | 208 (39) | |
| 45-64 | 171 (47) | 257 (48) | |
| ≥65 | 40 (11) | 51 (10) | |
| Unknown | 3 (<1) | 2 (<1) | |
| Sex | |||
| Men | 286 (78) | 442 (82) | .14 |
| Women | 79 (22) | 95 (18) | |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| Asian | 10 (3) | 22 (4) | .02 |
| Black | 106 (29) | 131 (24) | |
| White/Latinxb | 212 (58) | 353 (66) | |
| Other | 4 (1) | 7 (1) | |
| Unknown | 33 (9) | 24 (4) | |
| Decedents experiencing homelessness | 85 (23) | 183 (34) | .001 |
| Substance implicated as cause of deathc | |||
| Fentanyl | 226 (62) | 388 (72) | .001 |
| Heroin | 76 (21) | 67 (12) | .001 |
| Other opioids | 40 (11) | 52 (10) | .53 |
| Methamphetamine | 193 (53) | 309 (58) | .17 |
| Cocaine | 184 (50) | 185 (34) | <.001 |
| Location of death | |||
| Hospital | 41 (11) | 79 (15) | .13 |
| Hotel or motel | 20 (5) | 27 (5) | .77 |
| Outdoors | 80 (22) | 136 (25) | .24 |
| Shelter | 3 (1) | 4 (1) | .90 |
| Shelter-in-place sitesd | NA | 21 (4) | NA |
| Private indoors, eg, residences, commercial buildings | 221 (61) | 270 (50) | .002 |
Abbreviations: IQR, interquartile range; NA, not applicable.
a
Proportions were compared using χ2 tests; medians were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests.
b
Race/ethnicity data during this time period were not disaggregated to allow for distinction between White and Latinx deaths.
c
Not mutually exclusive.
d
Shelter-in-place sites were established by the city in April 2020 to place individuals from existing congregate shelters, hospitals, or the street. Individuals susceptible to COVID-19 (ie, those aged >60 years and/or with health conditions) were prioritized.