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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was likely a “lost year” in the public health battle against the long-lasting HIV epidemic in the U.S., a public health official says.

The launch of a federal initiative, called Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S., was overshadowed by delayed diagnoses and treatment due to stay-at-home orders and other coronavirus-related safety restrictions.

“We definitely had a hit from COVID-19,” Demetre Daskalakis, MD, director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, told NBC News.

“We don’t really know where HIV transmission is going to land, but it’s something that we obviously are concerned about,” he said. Head over to WebMD to read the full story.