Hepatitis C Treatment: What is the Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi.314Keywords:
COVID-19, Hepatitis C, Pandemic, SARS-CoV-2Abstract
Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of liver disease, presenting several clinical manifestations.
The discovery of direct acting antivirals has revolutionized the treatment of this infection, these new antivirals allowed the eradication of the virus in more than 95% of the cases. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic changed the normal functioning of health services, and this could compromise this goal.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients treated and followed in a district hospital between January 1, 2015, and
December 31, 2020.
Results: We treated 267 patients, 77.9% men, the average
age being 50 years old. History of intravenous drug use was de risk factor in 55%. Genotype 1 was the most common (64%), 27% had liver cirrhosis and 32% had been submitted to other treatments. The average of the waiting time for treatment was 3.19 months, before the pandemic it was 3.11 months and in 2020 it was 4.15 months, this difference is statistically significant (p = 0.017). The number of patients treated over the years has been decreasing. The most used treatment was ledispasvir/ sofosbuvir. The sustained virological response was 99%. Patients were discharged in 70% of the cases.
Discussion: This retrospective study is the first, at national
level, to evaluate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the treatment of HCV infection. It showed an increase in the waiting time for treatment in the year 2020. The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on this pathology is still unclear.
Conclusion: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to an increase
in the waiting time for treatment and a decrease in the number of patients with HCV infection treated, making it difficult to eradicate the virus
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