Biden administration funds study on how to train drug addicts to distribute COVID tests

The Biden administration will spend $1 million next year to fund a study on how to train drug addicts to distribute COVID-19 rapid tests to other drug addicts.

The project summary emphasizes that “people who inject drugs” are especially vulnerable to the outbreak of COVID-19 due to “structural disadvantage, health vulnerabilities, and stigmatization that prevents adequate access to medical care.” This issue will be addressed through a “facilitation of rapid testing by people who inject drugs (PWID) via a supported employment program that trains PWID as peer health workers.”

The study, funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and conducted by the University of Oregon, began on December 1 and will last roughly two years. Efforts to distribute COVID tests to drug-infested communities have been studied before, the summary notes, but more information on rapid test distribution is needed.- READ MORE