Eye of the Needle: United Kingdom Surveillance of Significant Occupational Exposures to Bloodborne Viruses in Healthcare Workers

On 14th December 2020, Public Health England published their annual 'Hepatitis C in the UK' report. This analyses the UK's progress towards the World Health Organization's target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030 at the latest, which the Government signed up to in 2016. The latest report uses 2019 data to assess progress towards elimination, but also includes a section on the impact of Covid-19 on hepatitis C services, noting that "the Covid-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to our ability to meet WHO HCV elimination goals".

This Public Health England report covers the findings of analyses of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response on sexually transmitted infection (STI), HIV and viral hepatitis service provision and epidemiology. Despite a resurgence in hepatitis C testing and treatment initiations from June 2020, testing and treatment initiations in the summer of 2020 were considerably lower than in corresponding months in 2019. The report notes that "HCV testing through traditional venues may not have reached those in greatest need", describing this is "of particular concern".