an estimated 24 million americans have hepatitis c which killed more than 14000 last year a wave of diagnostics ushered in by covid could help revive flagging efforts to eliminate the diseasecreditjovelle tamayo for the new york timesfeb 4 2022the monday after christmas when kellie trent was scheduled to pick up medication to cure her hepatitis c it seemed like a little miracleshe was expected at the pioneer family practice in western washington state seven months after screening positive for the bloodborne infection at a clinic that dispenses medication to treat her heroin addiction all that time as she underwent more tests and waited for results while in and out of residential drug treatment addressing her hepatitis c remained out of reachon the eve of her december appointment her physician dr lucinda grande grew concerned when a storm brought four inches of snow to the region snarling the roadsbut in the end ms trent did not show up because she landed in jail for a few days arrested after missing court appearances for sentencing on a misdemeanor assault charge according to court recordsdr grande stowed away the first half of the unused prescription a fourweek course of pills priced at 13000she has had a bumpy road dr grande saidms trent is among an estimated 24 million americans with hepatitis c which killed more than 14000 in 2019 the most recent data available despite the availability of drugs offering a relatively straightforward cure the us government set a target of largely vanquishing the disease by 2030 but data from the centers for disease control and prevention show the number of treated patients has been falling and is less than half the rate necessary to meet that goalprogress has been further eroded by an explosion of new infections driven by injection drug use among 20 and 30yearolds according to data from the cdcthe pandemic has exacerbated the challenge threequarters of surveyed state viral hepatitis programs reported losing staff and cutting preventive services laboratory and prescription drug data show a sharp decline in hepatitis c diagnosis and treatment in 2020experts say the country needs to make it easier for those diagnosed to begin treatment the same day automated molecular tests capable of use at the point of care similar to ones that have become ubiquitous for diagnosing covid could be crucial for doing sodr scott gottlieb a former commissioner of the food and drug administration who sits on the board of pfizer and several other health technology companies recently described the advent of these diagnostics as one of the most enduring technological innovations stemming from the pandemic such hepatitis c tests are already in use abroad but no device makers have submitted one to the fda for approvalms trent has had a lot on her plate shes intermittently homeless and despite several chronic illnesses she has had sporadic contact with health care providers she recalled being revived from nearfatal drug overdoses nine times during her decadeslong struggle with addiction im 48 going on