Many are worried about how the novel coronavirus might affect people living with hiv. To sum up, at this stage there are few reports and the data is fairly thin, but nothing points to people living with hiv becoming more severely sick compared to people not living with hiv. This conclusion is based on data from IAS(International Aids Society) presented yesterday. The cases reported were people living with hiv and being admitted to a hospital with confirmed corona infection were as follows:
– 4 people in Switzerland aged 55 to 79. Three out of four had underlying risk factors in addition to hiv. One out of the four were in need of intensive care, the others received standard care. Two (including the person previously in intensive care) have been released from the hospital and two remains in care.
– 6 people from China. Several had low CD4 counts and also underlying health complications/risk factors in addition to hiv. All presented only with mild symptoms and have been released from hospital after successful recovery.
Anecdotal cases from Sweden has also shown successful recoveries. However, any official data on people living with hiv and confirmed corona has yet to be public.
We continue to monitor the situation and will update our channels as soon as more information becomes available. We recommend everyone at this point to follow precautions outlined by the health authorities and protect their own and others health.
For more information from the IAS:
https://www.iasociety.org/…/Cross…/COVID-19-and-HIV-Webinars