Publications by authors named "V A Sypsa"
We collected social contact data in Greece to measure contact patterns before (January 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020-October 2021) and assess the effects of social distancing over time. During lockdowns, mean daily contacts decreased to 2.8-5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackgroundLate HIV diagnosis (CD4+ T-cell count < 350 cells/μL, or with an AIDS-defining event) remains a persistent challenge in Greece, indicating potential missed opportunities (MOs) for earlier testing.AimTo determine the frequency of HIV indicator conditions (ICs) preceding diagnosis and to quantify MOs for earlier testing at a nationwide level in Greece.MethodsThis multicentre retrospective study analysed data on 823 antiretroviral therapy-naive adults (≥ 18 years) diagnosed with HIV during 2019-21.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the World Health Organization's targets for the 2030 viral hepatitis elimination strategy is to reduce new hepatitis C (HCV) infections. In Athens, Greece, people who inject drugs (PWID) have a high HCV prevalence, with increasing trends since the 2000s. This analysis aims to assess primary HCV incidence among PWID during 2012-2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- New HIV-1 infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Athens increased significantly in 2011, with ongoing transmission remaining even after a decline post-2013.
- The study estimated the time from infection to diagnosis for 844 PWID and found a median time of 0.42 years during the outbreak and 0.70 years from 2016-2019.
- The analysis revealed that 93.5% of infections during 2016-2019 were clustered, indicating a persistent HIV outbreak among PWID and highlighting the need for focused interventions.
Article Synopsis
- High mortality rates among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Greece, primarily due to overdose and HIV, have been documented in a study covering 2018-2022.
- The study found a crude mortality rate of 3.52 deaths per 100 person-years, with notable increases in Athens, and highlighted that younger, daily injectors not in treatment had higher risks of death.
- Results indicate an urgent need for preventive measures, especially in Thessaloniki, and suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated these trends in Athens.