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Since the coronavirus disease pandemic response began in March 2020, tests, vaccinations, diagnoses, and treatment initiations for sexual health, HIV, and viral hepatitis in England have declined. The shift towards online and outreach services happened rapidly during 2020 and highlights the need to evaluate the effects of these strategies on health inequalities.

Objectives: We describe COVID-19 mortality among people with and without HIV during the first wave of the pandemic in England., Methods: National surveillance data on adults (aged ≥ 15 years) with diagnosed HIV resident in England were linked to national COVID-19 mortality surveillance data (2 March 2020-16 June 2020); HIV clinicians verified linked cases and provided information on the circumstances of death. We present COVID-19 mortality rates by HIV status, using negative binomial regression to assess the association between HIV and mortality, adjusting for gender, age and ethnicity., Results: Overall, 99 people with HIV, including 61 of black ethnicity, died of/with COVID-19 (107/100 000) compared with 49 483 people without HIV (109/100 000). Compared to people without HIV, higher COVID-19 mortality rates were observed in people with HIV of black (188 vs. 122/100 000) and Asian (131 vs. 77.0/100 000) ethnicity, and in both younger (15-59 years: 58.3 vs. 10.2/100 000) and older (≥ 60 years: 434 vs. 355/100 000) people. After adjustment for demographic factors, people with HIV had a higher COVID-19 mortality risk than those without (2.18; 95% CI: 1.76-2.70). Most people with HIV who died of/with COVID-19 had suppressed HIV viraemia (91%) and at least one comorbidity reported to be associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes (87%)., Conclusions: In the first wave of the pandemic in England, COVID-19 mortality among people with HIV was low, but was higher than in those without HIV, after controlling for demographic factors. This supports the strategy of prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination for people with HIV and strongly encouraging its uptake, especially in those of black and Asian ethnicity., (2021 Crown copyright. HIV Medicine © 2021 British HIV Association. This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.)

Background: A target to eliminate HIV transmission in England by 2030 was set in early 2019. This study aimed to estimate trends from 2013 to 2019 in HIV prevalence, particularly the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV, by exposure group, ethnicity, gender, age group, and region. These estimates are essential to monitor progress towards elimination., Methods: A Bayesian synthesis of evidence from multiple surveillance, demographic, and survey datasets relevant to HIV in England was used to estimate trends in the number of people living with HIV, the proportion of people unaware of their HIV infection, and the corresponding prevalence of undiagnosed HIV. All estimates were stratified by exposure group, ethnicity, gender, age group (15-34, 35-44, 45-59, or 60-74 years), region (London, or outside of London) and year (2013-19)., Findings: The total number of people living with HIV aged 15-74 years in England increased from 83 500 (95% credible interval 80 200-89 600) in 2013 to 92 800 (91 000-95 600) in 2019. The proportion diagnosed steadily increased from 86% (80-90%) to 94% (91-95%) during the same time period, corresponding to a halving in the number of undiagnosed infections from 11 600 (8300-17 700) to 5900 (4400-8700) and in undiagnosed prevalence from 0·29 (0·21-0·44) to 0·14 (0·11-0·21) per 1000 population. Similar steep declines were estimated in all subgroups of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men and in most subgroups of Black African heterosexuals. The pace of reduction was less pronounced for heterosexuals in other ethnic groups and people who inject drugs, particularly outside London; however, undiagnosed prevalence in these groups has remained very low., Interpretation: The UNAIDS target of diagnosing 90% of people living with HIV by 2020 was reached by 2016 in England, with the country on track to achieve the new target of 95% diagnosed by 2025. Reductions in transmission and undiagnosed prevalence have corresponded to large scale-up of testing in key populations and early diagnosis and treatment. Additional and intensified prevention measures are required to eliminate transmission of HIV among the communities that have experienced slower declines than other subgroups, despite having very low prevalences of HIV., Funding: UK Medical Research Council and Public Health England., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests HM was a PHE technical advisor on the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence pending guideline on Reducing sexually transmitted infections (GID-NG10142). All other authors declare no competing interests., (This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.)

Background: To manage the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) in England, treatment as prevention strategies based on test and treat were strengthened between 2011 and 2015, and supplemented from 2015 by scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). We examined the effect of these interventions on HIV incidence and investigated whether internationally agreed targets for HIV control and elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 might be within reach among MSM in England., Methods: We used a novel, age-stratified, CD4-staged Bayesian back-calculation model to estimate HIV incidence and undiagnosed infections among adult MSM (age ≥15 years) during the 10-year period between 2009 and 2018. The model used data on HIV and AIDS diagnoses routinely collected via the national HIV and AIDS Reporting System in England, and knowledge on the progression of HIV through CD4-defined disease stages. Estimated incidence trends were extrapolated, assuming a constant MSM population from 2018 onwards, to quantify the likelihood of achieving elimination of HIV transmission, defined as less than one newly aquired infection per 10 000 MSM per year, by 2030., Findings: The peak in HIV incidence in MSM in England was estimated with 80% certainty to have occurred in 2012 or 2013, at least 1 year before the observed peak in new diagnoses in 2014. Results indicated a steep decrease in the annual number of new infections among MSM, from 2770 (95% credible interval 2490-3040) in 2013 to 1740 (1500-2010) in 2015, followed by a steadier decrease from 2016, down to 854 (441-1540) infections in 2018. A decline in new infections was consistently estimated in all age groups, and was particularly marked in MSM aged 25-34 years, and slowest in those aged 45 years or older. Similar trends were estimated in the number of undiagnosed infections, with the greatest decrease after 2013 in the 25-34 years age group. Under extrapolation assumptions, we calculated a 40% probability of achieving the defined target elimination threshold by 2030., Interpretation: The sharp decrease in HIV incidence, estimated to have begun before the scale up of PrEP, indicates the success of strengthening treatment as prevention measures among MSM in England. To achieve the 2030 elimination threshold, targeted policies might be required to reach those aged 45 years or older, in whom incidence is decreasing at the slowest rate., Funding: UK Medical Research Council, UK National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, and Public Health England., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests We declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: A resurgence in bacterial STIs, notably syphilis, among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) has been detected in England. A Canadian modelling study postulated that antiretroviral therapy (ART) may increase susceptibility to syphilis. We assess the association between ART and syphilis incidence in a comprehensive national cohort of MSM living with HIV in England., Methods: National surveillance data were used to create a cohort of MSM attending for both HIV and STI care in England between 2009 and 2016. Survival analysis was used to calculate the incidence of infectious syphilis during periods on and off ART. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to assess the association between ART use and syphilis, after adjustment for potential confounders, including, as a proxy measure for high-risk behaviour, being diagnosed with >1 other STI prior to a syphilis diagnosis., Results: 19 428 HIV diagnosed MSM contributed 112 960 person-years of follow-up from 2009 to 2016. The overall rate of syphilis was 78.0 cases per 1000 person-years follow-up. Syphilis rates were higher among men receiving ART (36.8) compared with those who did not (28.4) (absolute rate difference 4.7 cases per 1000 person-years). Multivariable analysis showed no statistical association between receiving ART and syphilis. Increased risk of syphilis was found in MSM aged 25-34 (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.43 to 2.51) and in those diagnosed with two other STIs (HR 5.83, 95% CI 5.37 to 6.32)., Conclusion: While we observed a small increase in the rate of syphilis among those on ART, when adjusting for potential confounding factors, including a proxy measure for high-risk behaviour, there was no evidence of an increased risk of syphilis in MSM receiving ART. High-risk sexual behaviour markers were the main risk factors for syphilis, and our results highlight the need for STI prevention interventions in MSM living with HIV to target these particularly high-risk sexual networks., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Of the 58,186 coronavirus deaths among adults in England during March-December 2020, 77% occurred in hospitals, 93% were in patients >60 years, and 91% occurred within 28 days of positive specimen. Cumulative mortality rates were highest among persons of Black, Asian, other, or mixed ethnicities and in socioeconomically deprived areas.

CD4-based multi-state back-calculation methods are key for monitoring the HIV epidemic, providing estimates of HIV incidence and diagnosis rates by disentangling their inter-related contribution to the observed surveillance data. This paper, extends existing approaches to age-specific settings, permitting the joint estimation of age- and time-specific incidence and diagnosis rates and the derivation of other epidemiological quantities of interest. This allows the identification of specific age-groups at higher risk of infection, which is crucial in directing public health interventions. We investigate, through simulation studies, the suitability of various bivariate splines for the non-parametric modelling of the latent age- and time-specific incidence and illustrate our method on routinely collected data from the HIV epidemic among gay and bisexual men in England and Wales.

Objective: To investigate whether HIV-infected individuals diagnosed with tuberculosis (HIV-TB) around the time of starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) have impaired CD4 cell responses to treatment., Design: Analysis of a national cohort of HIV-infected adults, linked to the national TB surveillance system for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including individuals starting ART from 2005 to 2009., Methods: We compared CD4 cell responses in HIV-infected individuals starting ART with a TB diagnosis ('HIV-TB cohort') with those not known to have TB ('TB-free cohort'). The TB-free cohort was frequency-matched to the HIV-TB cases for sex, age strata, baseline CD4 strata and ethnicity. Median change in CD4 cell count from baseline (ΔCD4) was calculated at 6-monthly intervals until 36 months., Results: There were 593 and 1779 individuals in the HIV-TB and TB-free cohorts, respectively (median follow-up 3.8 years). In both cohorts, median age was 36 years, 49.2% were women and 74.9% were black-African. Median baseline CD4 at the start of treatment was similar in the HIV-TB and TB-free cohorts (74 vs. 80 cells/μl). Median ΔCD4 was similar in HIV-TB and TB-free cohorts at all time points [294 (inter-quartile range 198-424) cells/μl in HIV-TB cohort; 296 (inter-quartile range 196-431) cells/μl in TB-free cohort after 3 years of ART]. A higher proportion of the HIV-TB cohort than the TB-free cohort died during follow-up (4.2 vs. 2.2%; P = 0.01); 78.5% of all individuals who died had a baseline CD4 cell count below 100 cells/μl., Conclusions: Long-term CD4 cell recovery during ART appears similar in HIV-TB and TB-free patients. Significant mortality in both cohorts highlights the need for earlier HIV diagnosis and ART initiation.

Background: Whether the incidence of tuberculosis in HIV-positive people receiving long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains above background population rates is unclear. We compared tuberculosis incidence in people receiving ART with background rates in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland., Methods: We analysed a national cohort of HIV-positive individuals linked to the national tuberculosis register. Tuberculosis incidence in the HIV-positive cohort (2007-11) was stratified by ethnic origin and time on ART and compared with background rates (2009). Ethnic groups were defined as follows: the black African group included all individuals of black African origin, including those born in the UK and overseas; the white ethnic group included all white individuals born in the UK and overseas; the south Asian group included those of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi origin, born in the UK and overseas; and the other ethnic group included all other ethnic origins, including black Afro-Caribbeans., Findings: The HIV-positive cohort comprised 79 919 individuals, in whom there were 1550 incident cases in 231 664 person-years of observation (incidence 6·7 cases per 1000 person-years). Incidence of tuberculosis in the HIV-positive cohort was 13·6 per 1000 person-years in black Africans and 1·7 per 1000 person-years in white individuals. Incidence of tuberculosis during long-term ART (≥5 years) in black Africans with HIV was 2·4 per 1000 person-years, similar to background rates of 1·9 per 1000 person-years in this group (rate ratio 1·2, 95% CI 0·96-1·6; p=0·083); but in white individuals with HIV on long-term ART the incidence of 0·5 per 1000 person-years was higher than the background rate of 0·04 per 1000 person-years (rate ratio 14·5, 9·4-21·3; p<0·0001). The increased incidence relative to background in white HIV-positive individuals persisted when analysis was restricted to person-time accrued on ART with CD4 counts of at least 500 cells per μL and when white HIV-positive individuals born abroad were excluded., Interpretation: Tuberculosis incidence is unacceptably high irrespective of HIV status in black Africans. In white individuals with HIV, tuberculosis incidence is significantly higher than background rates in white people despite long-term ART. Expanded testing and treatment for latent tuberculosis infection to all HIV-infected adults, irrespective of ART status and CD4 cell count, might be warranted., Funding: Public Health England., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Control of HIV transmission could be achievable through an expansion of HIV testing of at-risk populations together with ready access and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. To examine whether increases in testing rates and antiretroviral therapy coverage correspond to the control of HIV transmission, we estimated HIV incidence in men who have sex with men (MSM) in England and Wales since 2001., Methods: A CD4-staged back-calculation model of HIV incidence was used to disentangle the competing contributions of time-varying rates of diagnosis and HIV incidence to observed HIV diagnoses. Estimated trends in time to diagnosis, incidence, and undiagnosed infection in MSM were interpreted against a backdrop of increased HIV testing rates and antiretroviral-therapy coverage over the period 2001-10., Findings: The observed 3·7 fold expansion in HIV testing in MSM was mirrored by a decline in the estimated mean time-to-diagnosis interval from 4·0 years (95% credible interval [CrI] 3·8-4·2) in 2001 to 3·2 years (2·6-3·8) by the end of 2010. However, neither HIV incidence (2300-2500 annual infections) nor the number of undiagnosed HIV infections (7370, 95% CrI 6990-7800, in 2001, and 7690, 5460-10 580, in 2010) changed throughout the decade, despite an increase in antiretroviral uptake from 69% in 2001 to 80% in 2010., Interpretation: CD4 cell counts at HIV diagnosis are fundamental to the production of robust estimates of incidence based on HIV diagnosis data. Improved frequency and targeting of HIV testing, as well as the introduction of ART at higher CD4 counts than is currently recommended, could begin a decline in HIV transmission among MSM in England and Wales., Funding: UK Medical Research Council, UK Health Protection Agency., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To examine invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) incidence, the impact of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV7s) programme on the distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes and risk factors for IPD among HIV-positive adults., Methods: We analysed adults (aged ≥15 years) reported to the HIV and IPD national datasets in England and Wales (2000-2009). Through data-linkage, changes in IPD incidence and serotype distribution were examined. Risk factors for IPD among HIV-positive adults were assessed using a case-control study., Results: Among 63,109 HIV-positive adults, 951 were co-infected with IPD. The average annual incidence of IPD was 245 episodes per 100,000 HIV-positive adults and 246 of 100,000 among those aged 15-44 years. Incidence was higher among those not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (281 of 100,000) and those with severe immunosuppression (563 of 100,000). Among 9283 adults aged 15-44 at IPD diagnosis, 2.4% were living with undiagnosed HIV. The proportion of IPD episodes in HIV-positive adults with serotypes covered by PCV7 was 23% in 2009, a 54% proportional reduction compared with pre-PCV7 (2000-2006); the reduction in adults of unknown HIV status was 70%. The proportion of IPD episodes among HIV-positive adults caused by serotypes covered by PCV13 was 61%. Significant risk factors for IPD in multivariate analysis included older aged (≥65 years), a lower nadir CD4 cell count and no previous ART., Conclusion: An HIV test should be offered and recommended to adults aged 15-44 years without other obvious IPD risk factors. Our study provides an evidence base to policy makers regarding the use of the new PCV13 in HIV-positive adults.

Objectives: The aims of the study were (1) to measure the distance required to travel, and the distance actually travelled, to HIV services by HIV-infected adults, and (2) to calculate the proportion of patients who travelled beyond local services and identify socio-demographic and clinical predictors of use of non-local services., Methods: The straight-line distance between a patient's residence and HIV services was determined for HIV-infected patients in England in 2007. 'Local services' were defined as the closest HIV service to a patient's residence and other services within an additional 5 km radius. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify socio-demographic and clinical predictors of accessing non-local services., Results: In 2007, nearly 57 000 adults with diagnosed HIV infection accessed HIV services in England; 42% lived in the most deprived areas. Overall, 81% of patients lived within 5 km of a service, and 8.7% used their closest HIV service. The median distance to the closest HIV service was 2.5 km [interquartile range (IQR) 1.5-4.2 km] and the median actual distance travelled was 4.8 km (IQR 2.5-9.7 km). A quarter of patients used a 'non-local' service. Patients living in the least deprived areas were twice as likely to use non-local services as those living in the most deprived areas [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98-2.37]. Other predictors for accessing non-local services included living in an urban area (AOR 0.77; 95% CI 0.69-0.85) and being diagnosed more than 12 months (AOR 1.48; 95% CI 1.38-1.59)., Conclusion: In England, 81% of HIV-infected patients live within 5 km of HIV services and a quarter of HIV-infected adults travel to non-local HIV services. Those living in deprived areas are less likely to travel to non-local services., (© 2010 British HIV Association.)

Objectives: Describe the epidemiology and impact of late diagnosis among older adults living with HIV and estimate age at infection., Methods: Comparative national analyses between individuals diagnosed when aged 50 years and over with individuals diagnosed prior to 50 years. Age at infection was estimated using CD4 cell count at diagnosis., Results: A total of 8255 older adults accessed HIV care in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2007, a 3.5-fold increase compared to 2000; with one in 10 individuals newly diagnosed in 2007. When compared with younger adults at diagnosis, older adults were significantly more likely to be men (74 vs. 58%; P < 0.001), infected through sex between men (40 vs. 34%; P < 0.001) and of white ethnicity (60 vs. 38%; P < 0.001). Older heterosexual adults were more likely to be infected within the UK (16 vs. 12%; P < 0.001), with evidence of travel abroad among white heterosexual men. Almost half (48%) of older adults were late presenters vs. a third (33%) of younger adults. Older late presenters were 14 times more likely to die within a year of diagnosis compared with older adults who were not diagnosed late (14 vs. 1%; P < 0.001) and had 2.4 times the risk of dying than younger late presenters. We estimate that nearly half (48%) of older adults diagnosed between 2000 and 2007 acquired their infection at age 50 and over., Conclusion: Our study provides evidence of HIV transmission, high rates of late presentation and an increased risk of short-term mortality among older adults. These findings highlight the need for increased targeted prevention efforts and strategies to increase HIV testing among older adults at risk of HIV.

Objectives: To identify biological factors associated with HIV transmission in men who have sex with men (MSM)., Design: A longitudinal phylogenetic analysis of HIV-1 from an MSM cohort, incorporating clinical and epidemiological data., Methods: Potential individuals were HIV-infected MSM attending a sexual health clinic between 2000 and 2006. Individuals were classified such that they could move from recent to chronic infection categories. HIV-1pol gene sequences were obtained from plasma virus or proviral DNA and clusters estimated by maximum likelihood and conservative genetic distance differences. The single most likely transmitter generating each recent infection was ascertained and risk factors around time of likely transmission explored using Poisson regression modelling., Results: Out of 1144 HIV-infected MSM, pol sequence data were obtained for 859 (75%); 159 out of 859 (19%) were recently HIV infected at diagnosis. A single most likely transmitter was identified for 41 out of 159 (26%), of which 11 were recently infected (27%) and 30 chronically infected. Factors associated with transmission in multivariable analysis were: younger age {rate ratio per 5 years older 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.86], P=0.0009}, higher viral load [rate ratio per log higher 1.61 (95% CI 1.15-2.25), P=0.005], recent infection [rate ratio 3.88 (95% CI 1.76-8.55), P=0.0008] and recent sexually transmitted disease [rate ratio 5.32 (95% CI 2.51-11.29), P=0.0001]. HAART was highly protective in a univariable model, RR 0.14 (95% CI 0.07-0.27, P=0.0001)., Conclusion: Onward transmission of HIV among MSM is significantly associated with recent infection, sexually transmitted diseases and higher viral load, and reduced by effective HAART. The majority of new infections appear to occur from individuals whose infection was undiagnosed at the time of transmission.

Background: To investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and socio-economic status as measured by the English and Welsh Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)., Methods: Total 216 multiparous women whose youngest or only child was between 6 and 24 months completed a retrospective questionnaire study of infant feeding between birth and 26 weeks. Measurements included breast-feeding history; socio-economic demography and IMD., Results: Breastfeeding duration was associated with levels of multiple deprivation in both English and Welsh samples. Deprivation level and breastfeeding duration were associated with traditional indicators of socio-economic status. When considered in combination with other socio-economic indicators of breastfeeding duration, the deprivation level remained a strong predictor of breastfeeding duration over and above other socio-economic measures., Conclusions: Deprivation, as assessed by the IMD is predictive of breastfeeding duration. Postcode and thus deprivation level can be used as a non-intrusive way to identify women most at risk of low breastfeeding rates. Service provision can be targeted directly at women in areas recognized at being high in deprivation.

Objectives: To examine the epidemiology of HIV among black and minority ethnic (BME) men who have sex with men (MSM) in England and Wales (E&W)., Methods: Ethnicity data from two national HIV/AIDS surveillance systems were reviewed (1997-2002 inclusive), providing information on new HIV diagnoses and those accessing NHS HIV treatment and care services. In addition, undiagnosed HIV prevalence among MSM attending 14 genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics participating in the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme and having routine syphilis serology was examined by world region of birth., Results: Between 1997 and 2002, 1040 BME MSM were newly diagnosed with HIV in E&W, representing 12% of all new diagnoses reported among MSM. Of the 1040 BME MSM, 27% were black Caribbean, 12% black African, 10% black other, 8% Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, and 44% other/mixed. Where reported (n = 395), 58% of BME MSM were probably infected in the United Kingdom. An estimated 7.4% (approximate 95% CI: 4.4% to 12.5%) of BME MSM aged 16-44 in E&W were living with diagnosed HIV in 2002 compared with 3.2% (approximate 95% CI: 2.6% to 3.9%) of white MSM (p<0.001). Of Caribbean born MSM attending GUM clinics between 1997 and 2002, the proportion with undiagnosed HIV infection was 15.8% (95% CI: 11.7% to 20.8%), while among MSM born in other regions it remained below 6.0%., Conclusions: Between 1997-2002, BME MSM accounted for just over one in 10 new HIV diagnoses among MSM in E & W; more than half probably acquired their infection in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the proportion of BME MSM living with diagnosed HIV in E&W was significantly higher than white MSM. Undiagnosed HIV prevalence in Caribbean born MSM was high. These data confirm the need to remain alert to the sexual health needs and evolving epidemiology of HIV among BME MSM in E&W.

The genetic diversity in Trichoderma harzianum isolates from mushroom compost was assessed using various molecular techniques. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) divided the 81 isolates into three major groups, 1, 2 and 3. There was no variation within a group in rDNA, while a low degree of polymorphism was detected in mtDNA. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis of 30 randomly chosen isolates, with six primers, in general confirmed the RFLP groups. Nucleotide sequence determination of rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 revealed three distinct ITS types, 1, 2 and 3, possessed by isolates from the respective groups 1, 2 and 3. Based on these molecular data, group 2 isolates, which are aggressive colonizers of mushroom compost, could be clearly distinguished from the isolates belonging to the other two groups.