Health

(NEW YORK) — A rise in rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths may have been linked to an off-season surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 2021, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Open Network.

Sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) includes deaths of infants under one year old without a known cause, deaths that are due to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed and those from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“This is an important topic because SIDS and other unexpected deaths are still one of the leading causes of infant mortality, and there’s still a lot unknown,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

The most recent CDC data shows about 3,700 infants died from SUID in 2022 and 41% were from SIDS.

“There are very few things that are as horrific as a family experiencing a sudden infant death, and especially given the causes are so often unknown,” Brownstein said.

Using records from the CDC, researchers analyzed more than 14,000 cases of SUID and found that rates per 100,000 live births increased by 10% from 2019 to 2021.

Results showed the risk of SUID was highest from June to December 2021 — at the same time there was an off-season surge in hospitalizations due to RSV after the virus skipped its typical winter season in 2020.

Influenza hospitalizations were rare during this time and hospitalizations from COVID-19 did not have any clear association with monthly changes in SUID rates in the study.

These findings may indicate a connection between the risk of SUID and seasonal shifts in infections like RSV, but more research is needed to better understand this link.

“The findings underscore the importance of monitoring infant mortality during and after pandemics and obviously it puts big support for vaccinations and RSV prevention,” Brownstein said.

Currently, there are newer RSV shots available that doctors say are important to help prevent RSV and give babies the best protection against this virus that hospitalizes thousands of kids a year, mostly babies.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant women get an RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to pass on antibody protection to newborns.

The CDC recommends an RSV antibody shot called nirsevimab for all babies less than 8 months old unless their mother received an RSV vaccine in pregnancy at least 2 weeks before birth.

While nirsevimab had supply constraints last year in its first season, Sanofi, the drug manufacturer, recently announced they have started shipping shots to doctors’ offices and anticipate having enough doses for all eligible babies in the US this RSV season.

Doctors say safe sleep is also important for SUID prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep alone, placed down on their back on a firm, flat surface, with nothing in the sleeping area other than a fitted sheet.

Scott Gummerson, MD, ScM, is an emergency medicine resident and member of the ABC Medical News Unit.

Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH is a physician board-certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine and a medical fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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(NEW YORK) — Americans can once again order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government starting Thursday ahead of the upcoming respiratory virus season.

This is the third year in a row the Biden-Harris administration has allowed Americans to order over-the-counter tests at no charge.

Anyone wanting to order tests can do so at COVID.gov/tests. Four tests will be shipped free by USPS, starting Sep. 30.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) first made the announcement last month that the free COVID tests program was restarting.

“As families start to move indoors this fall and begin spending time with their loved ones, both very old and very young, they will once again have the opportunity to order up to four new COVID-19 tests free of charge and have them sent directly to their homes,” Dawn O’Connell, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at HHS, said during a media briefing at the time. “These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season.”

She added that the tests will be able to detect infection from currently circulating variants.

Currently, KP.3.1.1, an offshoot of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 52.7% of cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

During the same media briefing, CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen said immunity from vaccination and previous COVID infection have helped limit the burden of COVID on the health care system.

“I do want to acknowledge that we continue to see a lot of COVID-19 activity across the country right now in tests coming back from labs,” Cohen said, adding, “Circulating COVID disease is not translating into similar increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations or deaths.”

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(NEW YORK) — A woman who lost over 200 pounds said she accomplished it by focusing not on the weight she was losing, but the life she was gaining.

“I wanted to gain life more than I wanted to lose weight,” Leah Hope told ABC News’ Good Morning America of her motivation, adding, “There’s a much bigger picture that this is not about wanting a smaller body, but it is about chasing a bigger life.”

Hope, 35, said she hit a “rock bottom” moment in 2022 when she visited Disneyland in California with family members.

Weighing almost 400 pounds at the time, Hope said she remembers being in pain after just a few hours of walking at the theme park.

“I just had to end up spending most of the day by myself while my sister’s family was out enjoying the park,” Hope recalled. “I just left that day saying, ‘This is not the life that I want to be living, and if I continue on the path that I’m on, this is what my life is going to continue to look like.'”

After being overweight most of her life, Hope said she realized she had “become comfortable in my discomfort” and was motivated to change things.

She said she started small and focused on making one change at a time and then layering on more changes.

“Once that thing didn’t feel overwhelming anymore, then I added another thing,” Hope said.

For example, Hope said she started her weight loss journey by just adding one nutritious food to her diet each day.

Once she was comfortable with that change, she added one nutritious meal, and then began walking 10 minutes per day and later began writing what she was eating in a food journal.

“What prompted me to try to lose weight naturally was my focus on wanting to get healthy from the inside out, both internally, hormones, organs, all that, and mentally, emotionally, just holistic health, changing my lifestyle overall,” Hope said. “And so it seemed like it would make most sense to approach this naturally for myself.”

Hope added that while small changes and a natural approach to weight loss worked for her, everyone is different. People should consult with their health care provider before starting any weight loss routine.

“I strongly believe everyone has to decide what the best route is for them,” Hope said.

As she started to change her lifestyle, Hope began sharing her journey on social media. A TikTok video she posted last year, one year into her weight loss effort, now has over 14 million views.

When she faced obstacles on her two-year weight loss journey, Hope said she reminded herself of her focus on “gaining life” versus losing weight.

“As long as I continued to tell myself that, I could look at the scale and say, ‘You know what? Maybe the scale didn’t go down this week, but I did 2,000 more steps this day,’ or, ‘I actually enjoyed this healthy meal that I prepared,” Hope said. “Shifting my mindset to focus on building healthy habits, rather than just seeing a smaller number on the scale, is really what helped me continue through the road bumps, through not seeing the results that I wanted, and just continuing to remind myself that there’s a much bigger picture to this.”

The Walt Disney Co., is the parent company of ABC News.

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(NEW YORK) — The journey to get pregnant can be a long road for many women, some of whom are sharing that they found unlikely help from an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine.

The hashtag #mucinexdpregnancy has over 1,500 posts on TikTok from women claiming the medication Mucinex helped them get pregnant.

“I tried the Mucinex hack [and] it worked!,” one TikTok user captioned a post with more than one million views. “After 5 months of trying gave it a shot [and] got pregnant first try.”

“Trying to conceive for years just to take Mucinex and get pregnant,” another TikTok user captioned a viral video with two million views.

According to people sharing their stories on social media, taking a Mucinex pill every day during their high-fertile window helped them get pregnant.

ABC News’ Good Morning America spoke with board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd to break down the trend and whether it’s research-proven to work.

Why would Mucinex help with pregnancy?

Mucinex contains an active ingredient, guaifenesin, that helps with congestion by thinning phlegm, a type of mucus produced by the respiratory system.

The theory in using Mucinex to help with fertility is that guaifenesin could also help thin cervical mucus, making it easier for sperm to reach an egg during fertilization, according to Shepherd.

In addition to Mucinex, guaifenesin is also an active ingredient in other over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

“The reason why people think that this is going to be a way that’s going to help increase chances of fertility is that the actual medication is going to thin secretions,” Shepherd said. “Now, when we think of thinning secretions, we are usually looking at it from a perspective of cervical secretions.”

Is there any research proving Mucinex can help with fertility?

Not really, according to Shepherd.

“When we actually look at the data and the studies that have been done on Mucinex and fertility, we know that it hasn’t significantly improved the quality of cervical mucus, which could, again, help with some of the motility of the sperm getting to the egg,” she said. “However, it is, again, something that women can try on their own, but there is no strong data that’s going to say that it’s significantly going to increase their chances of fertility.”

The most frequently-cited study is one published over 40 years ago in 1982, in a journal entitled Fertility and Sterility. In the study, which included 40 couples over a span of 10 months, the female was given 200 mg guaifenesin three times daily from day five of her menstrual cycle through when she was ovulating. Scientists studied how well the sperm moved through her cervical mucus after using the guaifenesin.

Of the 40 patients, two-thirds showed some improvement in sperm motility. Fifteen of the 40 couples became pregnant during the study, though their pregnancies cannot attribute that solely to guaifenesin.

More recently, in 2010, a case study showed anecdotal evidence of improvement in one patient’s sperm count and motility after taking guaifenesin 600 mg extended release tablets twice a day for two months.

However, the study’s researchers said it was “not clear” why the patient had improvement and that more research on guaifenesin and male fertility was needed.

What does the maker of Mucinex say about taking it for infertility?

Reckitt, the maker of Mucinex, told GMA in a statement that taking the medication for infertility is considered “off-label use.”

“Reckitt is aware of recent social media activity surrounding Mucinex and fertility, and we understand why there is heightened interest in this topic. As a global leader in health and hygiene, it is important that we clarify that Mucinex should only be used as intended in line with label directions. Taking Mucinex for infertility constitutes off-label use,” the company said in a statement.

“Taking any medications outside their approved indications or without acknowledging all active ingredients may be harmful. In case of doubt, we recommend women have a discussion with their healthcare professional. Please always read the label and safety information before taking any self-care medication,” the company said.

Is guaifenesin safe to take during pregnancy?

Guaifenesin is considered pregnancy category C by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

That classification means means there’s no data on human fetuses and studies on animal fetuses showed adverse effects.

Women who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant should always check with their medical provider before taking any medication.

What causes infertility?

Female infertility is known to decline with age as well as smoking, excessive alcohol use, obesity, low body weight and excessive physical or emotional stress.

Medical conditions that impact the ovulation cycle, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries can also contribute to infertility, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Shepherd said it is important that women talk with their doctor if they have concerns about infertility, which is defined by the CDC as being unable to get pregnant after one year of trying or after 6 months if 35 years or older.

“When we look at the different trends that we may see on social media … I think that is so important for every woman to take into account that they need to discuss this specifically with their doctor to ensure that it doesn’t cause any harm, but also that they are following recommended ways for them to improve their chances [for pregnancy] in health and wellness,” she said.

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(NEW YORK) — With autumn in full swing, flu season is ramping up as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu season in the U.S. typically picks up in the fall and winter months and children, especially, are the most likely to get sick from influenza, a type of respiratory virus.

Here’s how to prepare for the season ahead:

What causes influenza (flu)?

The flu is caused by various influenza viruses that impact the respiratory system. For the 2024-2025 flu season, the CDC expects the dominant influenza viruses in the U.S. to be an A(H1N1) virus, an A(H3N2) virus, and a B/Victoria virus.

What are common flu symptoms?

Symptoms of the flu can vary but per the CDC, they may include fever or chills, a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea. The latter two symptoms are more common among children with the flu.

What is the flu incubation period and when are you most contagious?

Individuals with the flu can spread the virus to others, and according to the CDC, the incubation period can last between one and four days. The first three days of an infection tend to be the most contagious period.

The CDC recommends a flu vaccine for nearly everyone six months and older in the U.S. every flu season, except for anyone younger than six months or anyone with a severe, life-threatening allergy to any ingredient in a vaccine or the flu vaccine specifically.

What months are considered flu season?

The flu is most active between the fall and winter months. During the 2023 to 2024 flu season, CDC reports showed that national flu activity started to increase in October 2023 and didn’t start to decline until mid-April 2024.

How can you prepare for flu season?

Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician and a mom, shared in a TikTok post what she keeps on hand at home to stay prepared for flu season.

Her top items include:

• Disposable vomit bags
• Acetaminophen/Ibuprofen in multiple forms, including chewable tablets, liquid form or suppositories
• Digital Thermometer
• Zyrtec or a similar second-generation histamine for allergic reactions or hives
• A portable pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and oxygenation
• Packs of electrolyte powder
• Cough suppresants and oral anesthetics including those in lollipop forms
• Saline nasal mist
• A squeeze bottle kit for over-the-counter saline solutions
• A saline inhaler
• Nasal saline drops with a suction bulb

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(NEW YORK) — The prevalence of obesity among adults has slightly decreased in the United States but remains higher than 10 years ago, new federal data shows.

Among adults aged 20 and older, about 40.3% were estimated to be obese between August 2021 and August 2023, according to a report released early Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics.

This is lower than the 41.9% estimated to be obese between 2017 and 2020 but higher than the 37.7% figure recorded from 2013 to 2014.

Meanwhile, rates of severe obesity increased from 9.2% between 2017 and 2020 to 9.7% between August 2021 and August 2023. Between 2013 and 2014, an estimated 7.7% of adults were severely obese.

This means more than 100 million American adults have obesity, and more than 20 million adults have severe obesity, according to figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital, and an ABC News contributor, said that although the data show a short-term slowdown of obesity rates, the prevalence is still quite high and higher than seen 10 years ago.

“The latest data reveals a persistent challenge with obesity rates holding steady at 40.3% among adults,” he said. “While this does not represent an increase, it is important to recognize that these rates are still alarmingly high — higher than they were a decade ago — underscoring the urgent need for targeted public health strategies.”

The prevalence of severe obesity was higher among women at 12.7% compared to 6.7% for men.

Among age groups, the prevalence of obesity was highest among adults between ages 40 and 59 at 46.4%. By comparison, the prevalence in adults between ages 20 and 39 was 35.5% and among those aged 60 and older was 38.9%. This pattern was seen in both men and women, according to the report.

Severe obesity prevalence was also highest among those aged 40 to 59 at 12% compared to 9.5% for those aged 20 to 29 and 6.6% for those aged 60 and older.

When it came to prevalence by education level, those with a bachelor’s degree or more had the lowest prevalence of obesity at 31.6% between August 2021 and August 2023.

There were no significant differences between men and women in obesity prevalence by education level, the report found.

Adults with obesity are at high risk of other chronic diseases. About 58% of obese adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure and about 23% have diabetes, according to the CDC.

Additionally, obesity can put a strain on the health care system. In 2019, the annual medical costs for adults with obesity were $1,861 higher per person than for adults with healthy weight. For those with severe obesity, excess costs were $3,097 per person, the CDC said.

“While there are some differences across demographics, this work really highlights that obesity is a broad health issue in the U.S. and that men, women, young and old are all affected,” Brownstein said. “Comprehensive approaches are essential to support individuals and communities in achieving healthier lifestyles.”

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(NEW YORK) — The first person in New York state to be diagnosed with eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in nearly a decade has died, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced Monday.

The case was confirmed on Sept. 20 in Ulster County — located along the Hudson River — by the state Department of Health. It is currently being investigated by the county Department of Health.

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald previously issued a Declaration of an Imminent Threat to Public Health after the EEE diagnosis, which allows the state to deploy resources including mosquito spraying efforts from Sept. 30 to Nov. 30, 2024.

“Eastern equine encephalitis is different this year. While we normally see these mosquitoes in two to three counties each year, this year they have been in 15 counties so far, and scattered all over New York State,” McDonald said in a statement. “This life-threatening mosquito-borne disease has no commercially available human vaccine and must be taken seriously. Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat.”

“I urge all New Yorkers to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing and removing free-standing water near their homes. Fall is officially here, but mosquitoes will be around until we see multiple nights of below freezing temperatures,” the statement continued.

The New York case is likely at least the eleventh case of EEE so far this year, according to an ABC News tally. This also includes the 10 known cases listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website.

Beyond New York, cases have been reported in Massachusetts, with four; New Hampshire, with two; and in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin, with one each.

Between 2003 and 2023, there have been at least 196 EEE cases reported in the U.S., including 176 hospitalizations and 79 deaths, CDC data shows.

Most people who are infected with EEE show either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, according to the CDC. However, severe cases usually present with fever, headache, chills and vomiting before progressing to the more serious encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, or meningitis, which is inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

About one-third of all people who develop severe EEE die from the illness, the CDC says, while survivors can experience ongoing physical and neurological problems, including seizures, paralysis, cranial nerve dysfunction, personality disorders, and intellectual disabilities that can range from mild to severe.

There are no vaccines for EEE and health officials say the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Health officials recommend wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants, and tucking shirts into pants and pants into socks, at dusk or dawn, which are times of day when mosquitoes are most active.

Additionally, it is recommended to use insect repellent with DEET, to use screens on windows and doors, and to eliminate all standing water around the home where mosquitoes can breed.

ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud and Meredith Deliso contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — New York state reported its first case of eastern equine encephalitis in nearly a decade on Friday.

The rare mosquito-borne virus was detected in Ulster County, the New York State Department of Health said. The individual is hospitalized, it said.

The Ulster County Department of Health is currently investigating the case, which marks the first case of EEE confirmed in New York state since 2015, health officials said.

“Eastern equine encephalitis is a serious and fatal mosquito-borne disease with no vaccine,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a statement. “Even though temperatures are getting cooler, mosquito-borne illnesses are still a risk and New Yorkers must be cautious.”

The human case comes after a case of EEE was confirmed in a horse in Ulster County in August, the state health department said. Earlier this month, two emus in New York’s Rensselaer County also tested positive for the virus, which does not spread directly from birds to humans, the department said.

The latest human EEE case in New York brings the national tally to at least 11 so far this year, according to an ABC News tally. The national yearly average is 11, with most cases occurring in eastern or Gulf Coast states.

Beyond New York, cases have been reported in at least six other states so far this year: Massachusetts, with four; New Hampshire, with two; and, with one each, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Between 2003 and 2023, there have been at least 196 EEE cases reported in the U.S., including 176 hospitalizations and 79 deaths.

The best way to prevent infection from the disease is to protect yourself from mosquito bites, including by using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, treating clothing and gear and taking steps to control mosquitoes indoors and outdoors.

“With the first confirmed human case of eastern equine encephalitis in Ulster County, I urge residents to take the recommended precautions to prevent mosquito bites and the risk of infection,” Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said in a statement.

Most people infected with EEE do not develop symptoms. For those who do, symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, behavioral changes and drowsiness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Approximately a third of all people who develop severe cases die, according to the CDC.

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(NEW YORK) — While body mass index (BMI) has long been a go-to measure of a person’s health, used by doctors and health insurers alike, a new approach is taking hold.

Body roundness index, or BRI, is gaining prominence as a way of predicting one’s health risk by taking into account more than just a person’s height and weight, which are the sole factors used to determine BMI, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Here are five questions answered about BRI and why it’s being used with increasing frequency.

1. What is body roundness index?

Body roundness index takes into account a person’s height and waist circumference to determine whether they are in a healthy or unhealthy sphere, according to Maya Feller, a registered dietitian and nutritionist.

A study published in June in JAMA Network Open described BRI as an evidence-backed tool for more accurately determining a person’s mortality risk.

2. How do I calculate my own BRI?

BRI is calculated using a mathematical formula: 364.2 − 365.5 × √(1 − [waist circumference in centimeters / 2π]2 / [0.5 × height in centimeters]2, according to the study.

There are online calculators where you can enter your height and waist and hip measurements to determine your BRI.

Once your measurements are entered, you will see a number and whether that puts you in or out of the “healthy zone.”

3. What are the criticisms of BRI?

According to Feller, one criticism of BRI is that it favors a certain body type.

“The challenge with the BRI is that it really favors more slender bodies, and it says that, okay, rounder bodies are not as ‘healthy,'” Feller said.

4. What is wrong with using BMI?

BMI is still a go-to determinant of health used by medical providers.

Some critics, though, argue that BMI does not take into account a person’s body composition because it only measures weight and height, according to Feller.

With BMI, a person is categorized as either underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese.

Last year, the American Medical Association said in a policy announcement that BMI does not account for racial, sex, age ethnic and gender diversity.

“It doesn’t take body composition into consideration,” Feller said. “So someone who’s very muscular might wrongly be put in the overweight or obese category, and that’s just not okay.”

5. What are other ways to check my health status?

Feller noted that while BRI and BMI can be useful, she recommends relying on tests that measure a person’s internal health rather than their weight or measurements.

“I always like to check the insides,” Feller said. “You can look as wonderful as you want on the outside, but what’s happening with your lipids? What’s happening with your blood pressure, your blood sugars? Those are the things that I want to see.”

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(ATLANTA) — The estimated number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have been dropping for months and are now at their lowest levels in three years, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Deaths from overdoses dropped for the first time in five years in 2023, following a steady rise during the pandemic. However, the current number of overdose deaths still remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

In April 2024, the latest month with data, the estimated number of deaths in the past 12 months was 101,168, according to the CDC. The last month with figures that low was in May of 2021, with 100,997 deaths.

Data from other sources, such as emergency department visits and calls to EMS, support the downward trend, according to an analysis led by Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist at the Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He tells ABC News that the data may point to 20,000 fewer deaths annually, or more.

While experts continue to explore possible reasons driving the decline, there are a few public health initiatives to curb drug overdoses that may be showing signs of success.

“Enhanced access to naloxone, expanded treatment programs for opioid use disorder, and increased public awareness about the dangers of synthetic opioids like fentanyl are likely playing significant roles in saving lives,” said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News medical contributor.

Another potential explanation for the downturn, Dasgupta says, may be related to changes in the drug supply, such as more people using xylazine, a dangerous, non-opioid animal sedative that’s often mixed with other illicit drugs, including fentanyl.

“Xylazine makes people use less fentanyl, is the bottom line,” Dasgupta told ABC News, while citing research that showed that those who overdosed and tested positive for xylazine had less severe health outcomes than those who did not have xylazine in their system. This could be due to the fact that those who used illicit substances, like fentanyl, mixed with xylazine may be using those substances less often, Dasgupta said.

“We’re seeing this pattern kind of happening that looks a lot like a change in the drug supply, more so than just explained by all the interventions in the public health space,” Dasgupta added. “It’s probably a mix of all these things at the end of the day, but something really changed in the third quarter of last year.”

Within each state, however, the decline in overdose deaths is not uniform among all people. Maryland, for example, experienced a decline in deaths among white populations, yet an increase among Black populations, Dasgupta points out.

Changes in drug overdose deaths also vary greatly by state, with some still experiencing increases in the past 12 months, CDC data shows. States with the greatest dips in overdose deaths over the past year, according to the same data, were Nebraska, North Carolina, Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, in that descending order.

While the national downward trend may continue, experts told ABC News it may not be permanent.

“We’ve seen dips that have been erased a year later. So, I’m cautious. I feel like things really haven’t cooled down yet,” Dasgupta said. “It feels like we’ve put the lid on the pot, but we’re still at a rolling boil. There’s still a lot of people dying of overdose.”

“It’s crucial that we continue to intensify our efforts to address the root causes of the opioid epidemic,” Brownstein said. “We need to continue investing in comprehensive strategies that address the complex factors driving the opioid crisis.”

Jake Goodman, MD, MBA is a psychiatry resident physician and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.

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