Covid turning fatal to people suffering from HIV and AIDS

According to recent research, people suffering from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are more prone to death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The Pennsylvania State University researchers in the study pointed out that people suffering from HIV are prone to 24 per cent more risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 78 per cent higher death risk from the virus when compared to the people without the disease.

The most common symptoms among HIV-positive people are high blood pressure, blood sugar, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease.

People suffering from AIDS/HIV have the higher risk of getting severe from Covid-19. As per the researchers, the beneficial effects of astenofovir and protease-inhibitors, the antiviral medicines, in the lowering of the risk caused due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortalities through this virus with people suffering from AIDS/HIV is doubtful.

The study finds a place in the journal Scientific Reports.

Vernon Chinchilli, of Penn State’s Department of Public Health Sciences exclaimed, “As per the pandemic has evolved, we’ve obtained sufficient information to characterise the epidemiology of HIV/SARS-CoV-2 coinfection, which could not be done at the beginning of the pandemic due to scarcity of data.”

Chinchilli further stated, ‘Our findings support the current Centres for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to prioritise persons living with HIV to receive a Covid-19 vaccine.”

They examined data from the earlier 22 studies and that includes almost 21 million participants in North America, Africa, Europe and Asia to make it clear as to what extent people suffering from HIB/AIDS are prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection and mortalities from Covid-19.

For the last few years, studies have made it clear that specific pre-existing conditions that includes cancer, blood sugar and high blood pressure are the prime factors that help to boost up an individual’s risk of losing their lives due to Covid-19. As per the World Health Organisation, more or less, 38 million people throughout the world survive with HIV.