The article is not about Covid-19 at all. The article is about a three year trend in drug overdoses. Covid-19 is not mentioned anywhere else: just a half-sentence insinuation that it is relevant, one that couldn't be evidenced - not even with one quote from any single medical professional (if it could be, it would be).
Why is Covid-19 in the headline? Only so that exactly this happens. That's the clickbait; you fell for it.
One is not allowed to rationally consider alternatives to the prevailing narrative that flattening the curve and Corona virus restrictions were effective and a good solution while putting millions into poverty was unfortunate but necessary.
Gotta crack some eggs to make an omelet the saying goes and these deaths are possibly the eggs that got cracked to support Corona restrictions.
What part of this contradicts the title?