We use two continuous time-series datasets and one panel dataset, assessing changes over time within city and comparing across cities, and disaggregate major findings by age. For clinical results, ART use showed by far the smallest reductions, and testing the largest.
Disruptions occurred concurrently between cities, despite the major wave of COVID, and government mandates, occurring later in Atlanta. Test positivity increased in NYC only.
Reduced clinical service usage would be unconcerning if stemming solely from reductions in exposure; however, the patterns for young MSM suggest that the COVID epidemic likely generated new conditions for increased HIV transmission, especially in this cohort.
Editor: Douglas S. This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. Data Availability: This study uses data provided by four outside sources to conduct secondary analyses.
Each source has its own process for additional qualified users to obtain data after a process of scientific review to balance safety concerns with research needs.
