While HIV infection itself does not appear to increase risk for severe COVID-19, mounting evidence indicates that specific comorbidities in people with HIV are linked to greater COVID-19 severity. Even when HIV is well-controlled with treatment, people with HIV bear a significant burden of numerous comorbidities, many of which have also emerged as risk factors for severe COVID-19.
Accelerated development and clinical testing of prevention and treatment strategies are urgently needed to mitigate the juxtaposition of the HIV and COVID-19 pandemics, the authors conclude. This includes basic research on the interactions between HIV and SARS-CoV-2 at both the cellular and molecular levels, as well as clinical studies to evaluate outcomes for people with HIV and SARS-CoV-2 co-infections, including the impact of comorbidities.
NIH experts call for accelerated research to address concurrent HIV and COVID-19 pandemics