Relationship Between Hepatitis C Infection and Treatment Status and Coronavirus Disease 2019-Related Hospitalizations in Georgia

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. This Georgian population-based registry study indicates that hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive individuals treated with direct-acting antivirals may have reduced odds of COVID-19-related hospitalization compared with those who remained untreated for HCV or tested HCV negative.