Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Testing for Hepatitis B in British Columbia, Canada: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Previous research suggests the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reductions in HBV testing early in the pandemic. However, impacts of the pandemic on HBV testing in the longer-term and among people who inject drugs (PWID) are unclear. We investigated the impact of the pandemic and related policies on HBV testing from 2020 to 2022, including among PWID, in British Columbia (BC), Canada.

Methods

Using population data from the BC COVID-19 Cohort, we conducted interrupted time series analyses of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), HBV DNA, and HBV e-antigen (HBeAg) testing. The study included a prepandemic period (January 2017-February 2020), a transition period (March-May 2020), and pandemic periods in 2020 (June-December), 2021, and 2022.

Results

HBsAg testing d

SUBMITTER: Morrow RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12692344 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature