Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on hepatitis C virus screening in provincial prisons in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22088657 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nadine Kronfli (0000-0003-2724-0496, McGill University Health Centre, corresponding author), Frédéric Leone (0000-0001-6394-2909, McGill University Health Centre), Camille Dussault (0000-0002-3555-9766, McGill University Health Centre), Giovanni Miliani (Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal), Elvira Gallant (Ministère de la Santé et des Services Sociaux (Québec)), Molly Potter (McGill University Health Centre), Joseph Cox (0000-0002-7041-1556, McGill University Health Centre) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | 1380126-1380126 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1380126 |
| PMID | 39109158 |
| OpenAlex | W4400914410 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 25 |
Background: Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hepatitis C (HCV) screening efforts in carceral settings. We explored the impact of the pandemic on HCV screening in two of Quebec's largest provincial prisons. Methods: Retrospective data of HCV-related laboratory tests between July 2018 and February 2022 at l'Établissement de détention de Montréal (EDM) and l'Établissement de détention de Rivière-des-Prairies (EDRDP) were obtained. To examine the association between the pandemic and the number of HCV-antibody (HCV-Ab) tests, a three-level time period variable was created: pre-outbreak, outbreak, and post-outbreak. Negative binomial regression (with monthly admissions as an offset) was used to assess the change in HCV-Ab tests across time periods and by prisons. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Results: A total of 1,790 HCV-Ab tests were performed; 56 (3%) were positive. Among these, 44 (79%) HCV RNA tests were performed; 23 (52%) were positive. There was a significant decrease in HCV-Ab screening at EDM during the outbreak (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.17-0.48) and post-outbreak (aOR 0.49; 95% CI 0.35-0.69) periods, compared to the pre-outbreak period. There was no significant change in HCV-Ab screening at EDRDP during the outbreak (aOR 0.98; 95% CI 0.49-2.11) but a significant increase in HCV-Ab screening post-outbreak (aOR 1.66; 95% CI 1.04-2.72). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected HCV screening at EDM but had minimal impact at EDRDP. To eliminate HCV from carceral settings, minimizing screening interruptions during future outbreaks and combined HCV/SARS-CoV-2 screening should be prioritized
Confidence interval · Disease · Hepatitis C virus · Odds ratio · Outbreak · Pandemic · Virus · COVID-19 and healthcare impacts · Demography · Hepatitis C virus research · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Epidemiology · Internal Medicine · Virology
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Implementing opt-out hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening in Canadian provincial prisons
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |