Hurricane Maria had a significant impact on HIV care outcomes

Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico had a significant impact on HIV outcomes among people living with HIV and a history of substance use, particularly increased viral load and decreased CD4 counts, according to early data just released by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico, University of Miami, Puerto Rico Department of Health, Iniciativa Comunitaria de Investigación at CROI 2019, at the annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, held this year in Seattle. The average viral load following the Hurricane was significantly (11%) higher compared to the pre-Hurricane Maria viral load assessment. Read More