Decreases in Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

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 t

SUBMITTER: Kaufman HW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8107198 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature