Abstract
Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevails in patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), most do not receive anti-HCV therapy. This single-center observational study aimed to achieve HCV micro-elimination at an MMT center during the COVID-19 pandemic using a collaborative referral model, which comprised a referral-for-diagnosis stage (January 2020 to August 2020) and an on-site-diagnosis stage (September 2020 to January 2021). A multidisciplinary team was established and all MMT center patients were enrolled. HCV micro-elimination was defined as >90% of HCV-infected patients diagnosed and >80% of HCV-viremic patients treated. A total of 305 MMT patients, including 275 (90.2%) anti-HCV seropositive patients, were enrolled. Among 189 HCV-infected patients needing referral, the accumulative percentage receiving HCV RNA testing increased from 93 (49.2%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 168 (88.9%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. Among 138 HCV-viremic patients, the accumulative percentage receiving direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy increased from 77 (55.8%) at referral-for-diagnosis stage to 129 (93.5%) at on-site-diagnosis stage. We achieved an HCV RNA testing rate of 92.4% (254/275), an HCV treatment rate of 95.8% (203/212) and a sustained virological response rate of 94.1% (191/203). The collaborative referral model is highly effective in HCV RNA testing and HCV treatment uptake among MMT patients, achieving HCV micro-elimination.
Keywords: COVID-19; direct-acting antiviral agent; hepacivirus; hepatitis C; methadone maintenance treatment; people who inject drugs.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, hepatitis C, direct-acting antiviral agent, hepacivirus, methadone maintenance treatment, people who inject drugs., 【초록키워드】 Treatment, therapy, Antiviral, COVID-19 pandemic, drugs, HCV, observational study, Elimination, Methadone, RNA, Hepatitis, hepatitis C virus, Patient, hepatitis C, Referral, antiviral agent, patients, seropositive, response rate, Anti-HCV, single-center, virological response, direct-acting, effective, enrolled, defined, diagnosed, receiving, sustained, receive, patients treated, 【제목키워드】 Model, maintenance,