The Impact of COVID-19 and Related Public Health Measures on Hepatitis C Testing in Ontario, Canada.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted progress towards global HCV elimination goals by interrupting essential health services in Canada and globally. We aimed to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing rates in a population-based cohort study in Ontario using health administrative data. All residents with records of either HCV antibody or ribonucleic acid (RNA) tests were included. Monthly testing rate per 1000 population were compared during the pre-pandemic (01/01/2015-29/02/2020) and pandemic (01/03/2020-31/12/2022) periods using interrupted time series models, stratified by sex, homelessness, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and immigration status, and people who inject drugs (PWID). The HCV testing rate followed a statistically significant upward trend befo

SUBMITTER: Sahakyan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12474368 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature