Since its first appearance in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has rapidly spread throughout the world and has become a global pandemic. Several medical comorbidities have been identified as risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, it remains unclear whether people living with human immunodefeciency virus (PLWH) are at an increased risk of COVID‐19 and severe disease manifestation, with controversial suggestion that HIV‐infected individuals could be protected from severe COVID‐19 by means of antiretroviral therapy or HIV‐related immunosuppression. Several cases of coinfection with HIV and SARS‐CoV‐2 have been reported from different parts of the globe. This review seeks to provide a holistic overview of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in PLWH.

As at the time of writing, the global confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) stand at 5 075 181 with 330 981 deaths and 1 936 331 recoveries. 1 According to the Center for Disease Control, the aged and individuals with compromised immune systems due to infections (ie, human immunodeficiency viruses [HIV], etc.) are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The risk of further complications due to SARS-CoV-2 infection is even higher for HIV-infected patients with low CD4 cell count, and not on antiretroviral regimens (ARVs). 2 This has created fear and panic among HIV patients globally, especially those from low-income countries. UNAIDS estimated that about 37.9 million people are infected with HIV globally, with 1.1 and 7.7 million of these people living in the United States and South Africa, respectively. 3,4 HIV-infected patients in the US, even before

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Sorghum beer (pito) is an indigenous alcoholic beverage peculiar to northern Ghana and parts of other West African countries. It is overwhelmed with calories, essential amino acids (such as lysine, etc.), B-group vitamins, and minerals. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for highly flavoured yet functional pito in Ghana; however, the local producers lack the prerequisite scientific expertise in designing such products. We propose the utilization of Tetrapleura tetraptera (TT) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) as cheap and readily available materials in designing functional flavoured pito. The addition of TT and HS would not alter the fermentation profile but rather augment the starter with nutrients, thus improving the fermentation performance and shelf life of the final pito. In vitro and in vivo studies provide substantive evidence of antioxidant, nephro-and hepato-protective, renal/diuretic effect, anticholesterol, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive effects among others of the TT and HS, hence enriching the pito with health-promoting factors and consequently boosting the health of the consumer. Herein, we summarise the phytochemical, biological, pharmacological, and toxicological aspects of TT and HS as well as the technology involved in brewing the novel bioactive-flavoured pito. In addition, we also report the incidence of heavy metal in conventional pito.

Background. Asymptomatic carriage of the malaria parasites, likewise its misdiagnosis, especially false negatives, due to the use of substandard rapid diagnosis tests (RDTs) has been shown to hinder the progress of the fight against malaria. Method. The study assessed the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria as well as the performance of Plasmodium falciparum-specific protein and histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) CareStart™ RDT against standard microscopy in the detection of malaria infection among 345 children (1–15 yrs) from two (2) basic schools in Tamale Metropolis. Results. From the microscopy (considered as gold standard), prevalence of malaria among the asymptomatic children was found to be 2.6%, with sensitivity and specificity of CareStart™ RDT in detecting P. falciparum infections found to be 55.6% and 93.8%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of CareStart™ RDT were found to be 19.23% and 98.45%, respectively. There was an evidence showing a significant relation between CareStart™ RDT and microscopy in determining malaria infection (χ2 = 30.579, p<0.001). Conclusion. Prevalence of asymptomatic malaria among children was found to be 2.6%. The study reported low sensitivity and PPV for PfHRP2 CareStart™ RDT in an asymptomatic population at instances of low parasitaemia.