Time Between Viral Loads for People With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, patients experienced significant care disruptions, including lab monitoring. We investigated changes in the time between viral load (VL) checks for people with HIV associated with the pandemic.MethodsThis was an observational analysis of VLs of people with HIV in routine care at a large subspecialty clinic. At pandemic onset, the clinic temporarily closed its onsite laboratory. The exposure was time period (time-varying): pre-pandemic (January 1st 2019-March 15th, 2020); pandemic lab-closed (March 16th-July 12th, 2020); and pandemic lab-open (July 13th-December 31st, 2020). We estimated time from an index VL to a subsequent VL, stratified by whether the index VL was suppressed (≤200 copies/mL). We also calculated cumulative incidence of a non-suppressed VL following a suppressed index VL, and of re-suppression following a loss of viral suppression.ResultsCompared to pre-pandemic, hazard ratios for next VL check were: 0.34 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.37, lab-closed) and 0.73 (CI: 0.68, 0.78, lab-open) for suppressed patients; 0.56 (CI: 0.42, 0.79, lab-closed) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.76, 1.10, lab-open) for non-suppressed patients. The 12-month cumulative incidence of loss of suppression was the same in the pandemic lab-open (4%) and pre-pandemic period (4%). The hazard of re-suppression following loss of suppression was lower during the pandemic lab-open versus the pre-pandemic period (hazard ratio: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.92).ConclusionsEarly pandemic restrictions and lab closure significantly delayed VL monitoring. Once the lab re-opened, non-suppressed patients resumed normal monitoring. Suppressed patients still had a delay, but no significant loss of suppression.SummaryDuring the early COVID-19 pandemic, people with HIV experienced disruptions in viral load monitoring due to lab closure and pandemic restrictions. Loosening restrictions resolved delays for non-suppressed, but not suppressed patients. Delays did not significantly increase proportion of non-suppressed patients.