Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and treatment status on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related hospitalizations in Georgia.
Methods: We analyzed 2020-2021 Georgian health registry data for COVID-19-positive individuals and categorized the data by HCV infection and treatment status. Logistic regression was used to assess the strengths of the associations.
Results: Treated individuals with HCV had lower odds of COVID-19-related hospitalization compared to anti-HCV-negative individuals, while untreated HCV-viremic and anti-HCV-positive nonviremic individuals had higher odds.
Conclusions: HCV treatment prior to COVID-19 infection was associated with lower odds of COVID-19-related hospitalization, highlighting the benefits of HCV management in the context of the pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Georgia; direct-acting antivirals; hepatitis C virus; registry study.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.