| Popis: |
There is a critical need to understand how COVID-19 may affect at-risk populations, such as people living with HIV (PLWH), and whether such populations are disproportionately affected and at increased risk for severe or prolonged disease. Symptoms and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC, also known as long COVID) can persist for months after the infection regardless of disease severity. The prevalence of PASC in the general population of PLWH is unknown. The primary aim of this study is to identify the long-term symptoms of COVID, as well as their duration, and characterize the impact of COVID-19 on quality of life in terms of health and other domains. In New York City, intensive care treatment and death were associated with lower CD4+ T cell counts among PLWH. In general, the potential for severe COVID-19 among PLWH appears to be highest for those who are not virally suppressed and who have comorbidities, many of which are shared risk factors for HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. We have little understanding of how the routine use of antiretroviral therapies for HIV and the presence of comorbidities might affect the risk and outcomes of developing PASC among PLWH. Similarly, we aim to assess the associations between symptoms of PASC and self-reported clinical outcomes, including viral load and adherence to HIV/AIDS medications. There is substantial overlap between the social determinants of health for HIV and for COVID-19 infections. For example, many sociodemographic characteristics that are associated with increased risk of diagnosis of and death from COVID-19 infection (e.g., race/ethnicity) also represent the groups also disproportionately impacted by HIV. Age has also been found to be a risk factor for COVID-19, particularly among PLWH. In a population-level study of PLWH and COVID-19, age was found to exacerbate the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 (Yang et al., 2021). Specifically, older individuals with HIV were more likely to experience hospitalization and death than their same-aged peers without HIV. We will also explore whether there are differences in these metrics between PLWH and those not living with HIV. |
