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| Department of Correction unveils plan to test all offenders for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) |
| By State of Connecticut Department of Correction |
| Published: 08/15/2019 |
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As part of its continuing efforts to provide quality health care to the offender population, the Department of Correction is rolling out a plan to test and treat all currently incarcerated offenders for the exposure and/or presence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The newly announced plan underscores Commissioner Rollin Cook’s vow he made, when appointed in January, to improve the quality of health care inside the state’s correctional facilities. In keeping with this promise, the Department under Commissioner Cook’s leadership made the implementation of a comprehensive HCV testing and treatment program a priority. Within the month, the offender population will begin being tested for the presence of HCV antibodies. Although the goal is to test all offenders, they will have the ability to opt-out of the test if they so choose. The initial screening will be completed by qualified health services professionals who will conduct the “finger prick” test. The goal is to test all currently incarcerated offenders in a timely manner. The offenders who test positive for the presence of HCV antibodies, which is an indicator of prior exposure to HCV, will receive further testing to determine if they have a chronic HCV infection. Those who are HCV positive after the second test and have chronic HCV infection will be assessed and prioritized for treatment in accordance with Clinical Guidelines set forth by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in 2018, and adopted by the DOC. Agency health services staff will then treat those who are infected, starting with the most serious cases first, in accordance with the BOP Clinical Guidelines. The treatment for HCV is a 12-week regimen (in most cases) of daily pills that act directly against the virus. HCV is most commonly transmitted through the sharing of needles or syringes by intravenous drug users. Since more than 90% of the offender population will return to their communities, testing for and treating HCV is essential to combat, and eventually eliminate HCV as a public health threat. “I believe this new initiative will be an effective weapon in combatting the spread of hepatitis C, which is a byproduct of the opioid addiction crisis,” said Commissioner Cook. “This is not just a Department of Correction problem, this is a public health problem, and we are more than willing and able to work towards fixing it.” |
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