Drowning your pandemic blues by drinking alcohol? Stop right there!

A new study has projected the rates of liver disease and associated deaths due to increased alcohol consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic. The research published in the Hepatology Journal also found that excessive drinking increased by 21 percent during this time.

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For the study, researchers analysed the drinking habits and liver disease trends in all U.S. adults. They estimated that a one-year increase in alcohol consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic will result in 8,000 additional deaths from alcohol-related liver disease, 18,700 cases of liver failure and 1,000 cases of liver cancer by 2040.

However, a sustained increase in alcohol consumption for more than one year could result in 19-35 percent additional mortality, researchers concluded.

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