Changes in Hepatitis C Awareness in Different Disciplines During COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and Infectious Diseases
• Public Health and Epidemiology
• Medical Education and Awareness

Background:

• Assessing physician awareness of hepatitis C virus (HCV) referral protocols is crucial for patient management.
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted healthcare delivery and patient referral patterns.
• Understanding changes in HCV awareness during the pandemic is vital for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the awareness of referring hepatitis C virus patients to appropriate departments.
• To determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on HCV awareness and referral practices.
• To analyze changes in HCV testing rates and departmental awareness before and during the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective screening of 65,743 patients with anti-HCV requests before and during COVID-19.
• Comparison of anti-HCV positivity rates and age distribution before and during the pandemic.
• Evaluation of HCV RNA test requests and departmental awareness for anti-HCV positive patients.

Main Results:

• Anti-HCV positivity increased from 1.54% to 2.15% during the pandemic.
• A significant decrease in anti-HCV positivity was observed in the >65 age group during COVID-19 (P = .004).
• The rate of patients not tested for HCV RNA increased significantly (32% to 48.1%, P < .0001), indicating decreased awareness across departments.

Conclusions:

• Hepatitis C virus awareness significantly decreased in all medical departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The pandemic led to a reduction in HCV testing referrals, particularly impacting the >65 age demographic.
• Despite physician alert systems, a decline in awareness necessitates improved strategies for HCV patient management.