Laurie Edmiston: The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening an HIV resurgence

Scientists projected that available treatments would eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030-then COVID-19 happened

This year was supposed to be the year we took control of the HIV epidemic.

Four years ago, governments around the world-including Canada-committed to achieving three targets: 90 percent of people with HIV diagnosed; 90 percent of those diagnosed on treatment; and 90 percent of those on treatment managing to suppress the virus to undetectable levels.

Since available treatments now eliminate the risk of passing HIV on to a sexual partner, scientists projected that meeting these targets by 2020 would eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Then COVID-19 happened.

You might think that physical distancing measures to protect us from COVID-19 would similarly limit opportunities to transmit HIV. However, the reality on the ground is not so straightforward.

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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below

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