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

Background: During 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. Methods: This 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. Results: Compared 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). Conclusions: Early 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.