Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Use of HIV Care, Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence, and Viral Suppression: An Observational Cohort Study From Uganda.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Recent studies project thousands of additional AIDS-related deaths because of COVID-19-related disruptions in HIV care. However, the extent to which disruptions in care have materialized since the start of the pandemic is not well understood.

Methods

We use electronic health records to investigate how the pandemic has affected clinic visits, patients' antiretroviral therapy (ART) supply, and viral suppression for a cohort of 14,632 HIV clients from a large HIV clinic in Kampala, Uganda. We complement this with an analysis of electronically measured longitudinal ART adherence data from a subcohort of 324 clients.

Results

Clinic visits decreased by more than 50% after a national lockdown started. The risk of patients running out of ART on a given day increa

SUBMITTER: Wagner Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8575089 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature