Time Between Viral Loads for People With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
; 91(1): 109-116, 2022 09 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1992439
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients experienced significant care disruptions, including laboratory monitoring. We investigated changes in the time between viral load (VL) checks for people with HIV (PWH) associated with the pandemic. SETTING ANDMETHODS:
This was an observational analysis of VLs of PWH in routine care at a large subspecialty clinic. At pandemic onset, the clinic temporarily closed its onsite laboratory. The exposure was time period (time varying) prepandemic (January 1, 2019-March 15, 2020); pandemic laboratory closed (March 16-July 12, 2020); and pandemic laboratory open (July 13-December 31, 2020). We estimated time from an index VL to a subsequent VL, stratified by whether the index VL was suppressed (≤200 copies/mL). We also calculated cumulative incidence of a nonsuppressed VL following a suppressed index VL, and of resuppression following a loss of viral suppression.RESULTS:
Compared with prepandemic, hazard ratios for next VL check were 0.34 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.37, laboratory-closed) and 0.73 (CI 0.68 to 0.78, laboratory-open) for suppressed patients, and 0.56 (CI 0.42 to 0.79, laboratory-closed) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.10, laboratory-open) for nonsuppressed patients. The 12-month cumulative incidence of loss of suppression was the same in the pandemic laboratory-open (4%) and prepandemic (4%) period. The hazard of resuppression following the loss of suppression was lower during the pandemic laboratory-open versus the prepandemic period (hazard ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.92).CONCLUSIONS:
Early pandemic restrictions and laboratory closure significantly delayed VL monitoring. Once the laboratory reopened, nonsuppressed patients resumed normal monitoring. Suppressed patients still had a delay but no significant loss of suppression.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
HIV Infections
/
Anti-HIV Agents
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr
Journal subject:
SINDROME DA IMUNODEFICIENCIA ADQUIRIDA (AIDS)
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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