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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
medicine
Decreases in Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 61, No. 3, Year 2021
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Description
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare services, reducing opportunities to conduct routine hepatitis C virus antibody screening, clinical care, and treatment. Therefore, people living with undiagnosed hepatitis C virus during the pandemic may later become identified at more advanced stages of the disease, leading to higher morbidity and mortality rates. Further, unidentified hepatitis C virus–infected individuals may continue to unknowingly transmit the virus to others. Methods: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, data were evaluated from a large national reference clinical laboratory and from national estimates of dispensed prescriptions for hepatitis C virus treatment. Investigators estimated the average number of hepatitis C virus antibody tests, hepatitis C virus antibody–positive test results, and hepatitis C virus RNA–positive test results by month in January–July for 2018 and 2019, compared with the same months in 2020. To assess the impact of hepatitis C virus treatment, dispensed hepatitis C virus direct-acting antiretroviral medications were examined for the same time periods. Statistical analyses of trends were performed using negative binomial models. Results: Compared with the 2018 and 2019 months, hepatitis C virus antibody testing volume decreased 59% during April 2020 and rebounded to a 6% reduction in July 2020. The number of hepatitis C virus RNA–positive results fell by 62% in March 2020 and remained 39% below the baseline by July 2020. For hepatitis C virus treatment, prescriptions decreased 43% in May, 37% in June, and 38% in July relative to the corresponding months in 2018 and 2019. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, continued public health messaging, interventions and outreach programs to restore hepatitis C virus testing and treatment to prepandemic levels, and maintenance of public health efforts to eliminate hepatitis C infections remain important. © 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Authors & Co-Authors
Kaufman, Harvey W.
United States, Secaucus
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated
Harris, Aaron M.
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Gupta, Neil
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Wester, Carolyn William
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mermin, Jonathan H.
United States, Atlanta
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics
Citations: 47
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.amepre.2021.03.011
ISSN:
07493797
Research Areas
Covid
Health System And Policy
Infectious Diseases