COVID-19 in people living with HIV: a single-center descriptive study

Abstract

Introduction: People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) may suffer more severe symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to their immunocompromised status, even if they are undetectable. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been reported as an independent factor associated with higher mortality in patients with COVID-19. The present study aims to describe the clinical characteristics of PLHIV and COVID-19 in one center in Mexico.
 Methodology: We conducted an observational retrospective monocentric cohort study of PLHIV diagnosed with COVID-19 between 1 March 2020 and 30 April 2021. SARS-CoV-2 was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of a nasopharyngeal swab sample, clinical features, and epidemiological characteristics.
 Results: We identified 55 PLHIV with COVID-19. The median age was 36 years (IQR 25–41.5 years), and 54 patients were men. The median duration of HIV-1 infection was 4.3 years (Interquartile range, IQR 2.6–7.2 years), and 100% were on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The last HIV-1 RNA viral load analysis of the patients was 52/55 (94.5%) indicating that they were in virological suppression. The median CD4+ T-cell count was 734/mm3 (IQR 541.5-921/mm3). The most frequent pre-existing comorbidities found were obesity (21.8%), hypertension (7.2%), and diabetes (5.4%). Only one death was reported (1.8%).
 Conclusions: It has been reported that COVID-19/HIV/AIDS co-infection has a higher risk of mortality, admission to intensive care, and complications. However, our study found that people living with HIV-1 with adequate virological control did not present a severe course of COVID -19.

HIV disease metrics and COVID‐19 infection severity and outcomes in people living with HIV in central and eastern Europe

“…A systematic review performed by Patel et al examined 63 studies, and in comparison to our own study they noted that many failed to analyse trends of CD4 cell count as they relate to disease outcome [24]. Several studies have analysed the impact of HIV viraemia, concluding that the virologically suppressed experience less severe disease but that, indeed, viraemia is associated with a more complicated course and worse clinical outcomes [25, 26]. One multicentre cohort study conducted by Hoffman et al found that T‐cell depletion caused by HIV is a risk factor for severe COVID‐19.…”