The immediate effect might be an increasing consumption (of alcohol) for subjects (easy access to alcohol in pubs or restaurants). The effect of quarantine may also increase the risk of abuse and dependency symptoms years after the outbreak. In a study three years after the 2003 SARS outbreak, authors identified as separate factors quarantine, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, and having used drinking as a coping method, as associated with increased alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms (Wu et al., 2008). Finally, as all past economic crises were associated with increased long-term alcohol-related problems (especially for men and low socio-economic strata) (de Goeij et al., 2015), we might expect important effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the next decade.
