ABSTRACT
Early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, a statewide executive order (PAUSE) severely restricted the movement of New Yorkers from 23 March to 7 June 2020. We used New York City surveillance data for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis to describe trends in diagnosis and reporting surrounding PAUSE. During PAUSE, the volume of positive HIV/sexually transmitted infection tests, and diagnoses of HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis declined substantially, reaching a nadir in April before rebounding. Some shifts in characteristics of reported cases were identified.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , HIV Infections/epidemiology , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/virology , Chlamydia , Chlamydia Infections/diagnosis , Chlamydia Infections/epidemiology , Female , Gonorrhea/diagnosis , Gonorrhea/epidemiology , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/virology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , New York City/epidemiology , Pandemics , Public Health Surveillance , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/diagnosis , Syphilis/diagnosis , Syphilis/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: New York City (NYC) was hard-hit by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and is also home to a large population of people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). METHODS: We matched laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case and death data reported to the NYC Health Department as of 2 June 2020 against the NYC HIV surveillance registry. We describe and compare the characteristics and COVID-19-related outcomes of PWH diagnosed with COVID-19 with all NYC PWH and with all New Yorkers diagnosed with COVID-19. RESULTS: Through 2 June, 204 583 NYC COVID-19 cases were reported. The registry match identified 2410 PWH with diagnosed COVID-19 eligible for analysis (1.06% of all COVID-19 cases). Compared with all NYC PWH and all New Yorkers diagnosed with COVID-19, a higher proportion of PWH with COVID-19 were older, male, Black, or Latino, and living in high-poverty neighborhoods. At least 1 underlying condition was reported for 58.9% of PWH with COVID-19. Compared with all NYC COVID-19 cases, a higher proportion of PWH with COVID-19 experienced hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and/or death; most PWH who experienced poor COVID-19-related outcomes had CD4 <500 cells/µL. CONCLUSIONS: Given NYC HIV prevalence is 1.5%, PWH were not overrepresented among COVID-19 cases. However, compared with NYC COVID-19 cases overall, a greater proportion of PWH had adverse COVID-19-related outcomes, perhaps because of a higher prevalence of factors associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes. Given the pandemic's exacerbating effects on health inequities, HIV public health and clinical communities must strengthen services and support for people living with and affected by HIV.