Abstract
Background: HIV late-stage diagnoses have an important impact on mortality. Unfortunately, a significant number of patients are still diagnosed at late stages. On the other hand, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis in healthcare systems worldwide, including HIV care services.
The aim of this study was to compare time-trends in HIV late diagnosis, prevalence, and initial CD4 cell counts of newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals at the entry to HIV care in a General Hospital in Mexico City and to assess the Covid-19 pandemic possible effects on late diagnosis prevalence.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of HIV-infected patients (January 1999 to December 2021) to assess the prevalence of Late presentation (LP, CD4 count < 350 cells/mm3) and presentation with advanced HIV disease (AHIVD CD4 count < 200 cells/mm3). Differences across time were evaluated, focusing on years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Results: We included 348 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals, of which 255 (73.2%) patients entered into care with LP, and 158 (45.4%) were on AHIVD. The proportion of patients with LP and AHIVD decreased significantly across the study period. Nevertheless, we found an increase in this proportion in the years 2020 (70% and 53%) and 2021 (86% and 68%).
Conclusion: Despite the progressive decrease in late diagnosis prevalence in our population, it remains high. Even more, our results documented a possible increase in the prevalence of late diagnosis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the need to prioritize interventions to evaluate and reverse pandemic effects on people living with HIV care.
Graphical Abstract
[http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016208784324976] [PMID: 18473789]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1506816] [PMID: 26192873]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1105243] [PMID: 21767103]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09411-4] [PMID: 12126821]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e3181945ed4] [PMID: 19194311]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.24875/CIRU.21000594] [PMID: 36787610]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0b013e31823e5bee] [PMID: 22067662]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jmv.26378] [PMID: 32735365]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chaos.2020.110165] [PMID: 32834649]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1293.2010.00857.x] [PMID: 20561080]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hiv.12686] [PMID: 30430742]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26852-0] [PMID: 29872068]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.21101/cejph.a5416] [PMID: 31580559]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-018-2971-6] [PMID: 29378523]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12981-019-0221-7] [PMID: 30876476]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152444] [PMID: 27027505]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/apc.2009.0138] [PMID: 20438374]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0036-36342012000500007] [PMID: 23011502]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.21149/8072] [PMID: 28562715]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.21149/spm.v57s2.7600] [PMID: 26545128]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2006.05.050] [PMID: 17398235]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8180] [PMID: 25706928]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09540121.2012.712670] [PMID: 22881055]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abc0035]
[PMID: 23893189]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.12790] [PMID: 35943465]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11904-021-00589-4] [PMID: 35092570]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02938-7] [PMID: 32488552]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.668]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-020-02969-0] [PMID: 32654021]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/COH.0000000000000659] [PMID: 33186229]
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12981-021-00335-1] [PMID: 33952300]