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Use of COVID-19 testing in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic among cohorts of people at the intersection of drug use and HIV.

Authors :
Gorbach PM
Rosen AD
Moore R
Shoptaw S
Mustanski B
Mehta SH
Kirk GD
Baum MK
Milloy MJ
Hayashi K
DeBeck K
Kipke M
Lai S
Siminski S
Javanbakht M
Source :
Drug and alcohol dependence [Drug Alcohol Depend] 2022 Dec 01; Vol. 241, pp. 109622. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Sep 06.
Publication Year :
2022

Abstract

People living with (PLWH) and at risk for HIV and people who use drugs (PWUD) are at heightened risk for health consequences of COVID-19 because of compromised immunity and high comorbidities. We studied their use of COVID-19 testing during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight NIDA funded cohorts across North America in the Collaborating Consortium of Cohorts Producing NIDA Opportunities (C3PNO) administered multiple waves of a COVID-19 survey. Respondents were at least 18 years of age, half PLWH, and many active substance users. Wave one of the COVID-19 survey was May-November, 2020 and wave two October 2020-April 2021. Associations of COVID-19 testing with demographics, socio-demographics, substance use, and HIV-status were assessed. Of the 3762 responses from 2331 individuals, half reported ever COVID-19 testing (49.1 %), with 4.3 % reporting a positive test (163/3762 surveys=4.3 %) and 41.5 % of people reporting current symptoms reported having been tested. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, sex, and cohort type associations with COVID-19 testing included African American/Black identification compared to Caucasian/white (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)= 0.68; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.53, 0.88); being unemployed (AOR=0.61; 95 % CI 0.51, 0.73), and living with HIV (AOR=0.76; 95 % CI0.65, 0.90). Findings from these C3PNO COVID-19 modules suggests that in the first year of the pandemic COVID-19 testing was not broadly accessed by these marginalized populations including PLWH and those unemployed. Factors associated with not testing may also parallel those for vaccination and identify populations needing better access to COVID-19 prevention.<br />Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest No conflict declared.<br /> (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1879-0046
Volume :
241
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Drug and alcohol dependence
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
36123252
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109622