Visits to Ryan White Facilities in Southern States Fell During COVID-19

Geographic disparities impacted interruptions in care at Ryan White HIV facilities in southern US states during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to findings published in AIDS and Behavior. Xiaoming Li, PhD, and colleagues examined the geographic distribution of visits to HIV facilities at the county level prior to, and during, the COVID-19 pandemic in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas to assess geographic and racial disparities in such visits. All nine states experienced substantial decreases in visits, with Georgia experiencing the greatest visitation reduction rate (VRR; –0.58), followed by Texas (VRR, –0.47), Alabama (VRR, –0.47), and Tennessee (VRR, –0.46). South Carolina experienced the smallest reduction (VRR, –0.11). All regression models consistently demonstrated racial disparities in visit disruptions. Black patients “experienced a greater disruption at the county level in the Deep South during this period,” Dr. Li and colleagues wrote.