During the pandemic, 2020 was dubbed a lost year in the public health battle alongside the long-lasting HIV epidemic in the US. The “ending the HIV epidemic” a federal initiative launched to fight the surging numbers of HIV infections was overshadowed by delayed diagnosis and treatment owing to coronavirus-related safety restrictions. Demetre Daskalakis, MD, CDC Division of HIV/AIDS prevention stated that COVID-19 took its toll on the number of HIV transmission and the figures are concerning. CDC’s Annual HIV surveillance report showed that HIV testing fell sharply due to interruptions in clinical care services, hesitance to get Healthcare services, and a shortage in materials for HIV testing during the first year of the pandemic. 

Hansel Tookes, MD, University of Miami stated that the delay in HIV diagnosis can be the cause behind increased transmission rates as after diagnosis and Anti-retroviral therapies transmission rates drop. The surveillance report found that nearly 1.1 million people were diagnosed with HIV. The epidemic was shown to have disproportionately affected the black Americans accounting for 42% of HIV cases followed by Hispanic and Latino Americans, and White Americans with 27% and 26% of reported cases respectively.

The CDC report noted that racial and ethnic differences in HIV diagnosis are a persistent factor along with HIV stigma, Homophobia, poverty, etc. 

(Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/974625?src= )