The Interplay of Chronic Hepatitis C and COVID-19: Implications for Prognosis and Treatment.

Introduction Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) remains a significant public health concern due to both hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has raised concerns about the outcomes of COVID-19 in CHC patients. Method We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with CHC and SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 2020 and 2023. We performed a global analysis of the entire batch of patients and, later, we evaluated the patients according to the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection Results The cohort included 89 patients (63 females, 26 males) with a median age of 65 years. Most patients were hospitalized in 2021. Common clinical manifestations included fever, cough, digestive symptoms, and headache. The most frequent comorbidities were renal disease, thyroid disorders, and cancer. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified older age, hospitalization in 2021, and respiratory failure as risk factors for severe COVID-19. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels were also associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19. Regarding CHC, detectable hepatitis C virus viremia was associated with more severe liver disease (p<0.01). Conclusion Patients with CHC and SARS-CoV-2 infection have a substantial risk of severe outcomes. Early identification and management of these patients are crucial to improve their prognosis.

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Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutuional Review Board of ”Dr. Victor Babeș” Hospital issued approval 19909. The current study protocol recived the ethical approval of the Institutuional Review Board of ”Dr. Victor Babeș” Hospital with the approval number 19909 from 28th of December 2020. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.