Significant Declines Noted in Hepatitis C Treatment, Surge in Infections

The CDC recently announced their first estimates on hepatitis C treatment initiation which show that the number of individuals who initiated treatment in the U.S. declined from 2015 to 2020. The study found that an average of 120,000 people sought treatment each year, which falls short of the 260,000 people that need to be treated annually to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. In addition, research shows that hepatitis C testing and treatment declined in 2020, likely due to COVID-19. Finally, the study found that acute hepatitis infections quadrupled from 2009 to 2019, with injection drug use the most reported risk factor for hepatitis C.