SARS-CoV-2, alcohol consumption, poor social behaviour, and the COVID-19 pandemic

Studies dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the COVID-19 disease have concentrated on the study of the virus and the disease themselves, but a knowledge of the causes responsible for the pandemic is still lacking. Crucial for effective decision making and control of the pandemic is a thorough and critical analysis of data regarding COVID-19, which shows an intimate relation between the number of cases/deaths and the consumption of alcohol. Ranked top 30 countries in COVID-19 cases/deaths and alcohol consumption coincide, with only a few exceptions. This coincidence is not fortuitous nor surprising, because excessive alcohol consumption is known to have pernicious effects on social behaviour, i.e. lead to deviant and irresponsible behaviour, which greatly promotes transmission