Staff inolved: Marieke Theron*, Rina Swart, Mukhethwa Londani, Charles Parry, Petal Petersen Williams and Nadine Harker
South Africa has a high prevalence of heavy episodic drinking (HED). Due to the high levels of alcohol misuse and violence, public hospital intensive care units were often overrun during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This research aimed to investigate the socio-demographic profile of participants, their alcohol intake behavioural changes during differing levels of lockdown restrictions, and factors linked to HED during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in SA.