COVID-19 and alcohol use: Why managing your alcohol consumption is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 has taken the world by storm. It has forced countries to shut down and people to self-isolate. While self-isolation and shutdowns are effective methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19, they come with collateral effects. A recent report published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) found that 25% of Canadians (aged 35-54) are drinking more while at home during the COVID-19 pandemic due to boredom, stress, and/or a lack of regularity in their schedules.

Image: Nanos/CCSA – This shows the reasons people are drinking more during COVID-19, this is important as it gives us invaluable information on what is contributing to the rise in alcohol intake.

A similar increase was seen in Australia, where there was an increase of around 30% in alcohol bought compared to last year. Alcohol is used as a way to relax by many, but it can harbor many negative effects in a time such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently debunked the misconception that drinking alcohol can provide you extra immunity against the Coronavirus.

Image: WHO/Europe/Twitter  – The image above shows the message the World Health Organization sent out on Twitter to explain to the public that alcohol does not help your body fight COVID-19.

In contrast, a study concluded that alcohol might increase vulnerability to the Coronavirus. Alcohol consumption at levels such as 5 – 6 drinks at a time or having more than 14 drinks in a week has a role in disrupting one’s immune system. It can do so by disrupting physical, chemical, and cellular responses that are a part of the body’s first line of defense. Furthermore, alcohol can impair t-cell recruitment which lowers the number of white blood cells that can destroy the invaders, which weakens the immune system. This is dangerous, especially with COVID-19 looming, as a weaker immune system leaves you more susceptible to infections.

In this video, Dr. Charity Baker states “Alcohol isn’t healthy and never was”, which explains that alcohol use is not a way to fight COVID-19

Alcohol can not only damage the immune system, but there is also a growing concern that the sudden increase in alcohol usage during the pandemic may result in greater cases of alcoholism. Alcoholism can lead to many health problems ranging from mental disorders to liver/heart problems. In a family setting, this can result in domestic violence and child negligence, contributing to the development of many other long-term problems such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression.

The future is dependent on what actions people decide to take now. The increase in alcohol drinking can become a problem if not addressed properly. The way to prevent an increase in alcoholism and all of the consequential problems attached to it is to lower your alcohol intake to a low-to-moderate amount (maximum of 1 -2 drinks a day).  The effects of COVID-19 are here to stay for many years to come and if alcohol consumption is not controlled during this time, it will only add to the persistence of these effects.

– Harman Sandhu