Those With HIV Have High Rates of COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Mortality

For persons living with HIV (PLWH), the COVID-19 pandemic posed some significant threats. It has been well established that PLWH are at a higher risk for contracting the virus due to several factors like an increased frequency of cardiovascular diseases.

To better understand the risk for PLWH, investigators from the Larkin Community Hospital in Miami conducted a study that assessed the risk of hospitalization, ICU admission and mortality of PLWH with COVID-19.

Data from the study was presented at the 11th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.

For the study, the investigators conducted a literature review by searching databases, such as Cochrane and PubMed, for the keywords COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV. The review found 23 articles that met the criteria and they included case reports, case series and cohort studies.

Results from the study found that of the 651 PLWH and a confirmed case of COVID-19, the risk of hospitalization was 69.13%, ICU admission was 12.90% of total patients and 18.67% of hospitalized patients. The cases fatality rate was found to be 11.21%.

There was a weak positive correlation between CD4+ counts and hospital admissions in the series and case report data, while there was a weak negative correlation in the cohort studies.

“There was a high rate of hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality among patients living with HIV and COVID-19,” the authors wrote. “We recommend that PLWH be closely monitored and strictly adhere to antiretroviral therapy and universal COVID-19 precautions.”