Trends in emergency department visits related to acute alcohol consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, 2018–2020

Alcohol-related ED visit rates per 10,000 total visits increased during 2020 versus 2018-2019, with the greatest relative difference in the second quarter. Fewer people sought ED care in 2020 than 2018-2019 but alcohol-related visits declined to a lesser extent than total visits.