NYS Data Shows Impact of COVID-19 in Persons With or Without HIV
New York State (NYS) is an epicenter for HIV/AIDS and now COVID-19. People with HIV may be more at risk for COVID infection and severe outcomes, In NYS more than 60% of all people living with HIV (PLWH) are older adults – aged 50 or older- who exhibit comorbid conditions associated with aging that increase their risk for COVID infection and poor health outcomes. A March through June 2020 study assessed the relationship between HIV and COVID-19 diagnosis. It addresses the important question of the actual effect of COVID-19 on hospitalization and death in PLWH in NYS.
This cohort study is of 2988 persons living with diagnosed HIV (2109 men [70.6%]; 2409 living in New York City [80.6%]; average age was 54.0 years) ,who also had received a diagnosis of COVID-19. A total of 896 PLWH were hospitalized. Of these, 207 died in the hospital. Data was standardized for gender and age. PLWH were hospitalized more than persons living without diagnosed HIV. Also an increased death rate was observed among PLWH and diagnosed with COVID-19. Among PLWH, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals were more likely to receive a diagnosis of COVID-19 than white individuals. However, they were not more likely to be hospitalized once they received a diagnosis or to die once hospitalized. Hospitalization risk did increase with progression of the seriousness of HIV.
This cohort study assessed NYS data during the early stages of the COVID epidemic. It found that PLWH had poorer COVID-related outcomes when compared to those without an HIV diagnosis. Having a HIV diagnosis was associated with higher rates of severe disease that required hospitalization. Similar conclusions were found in a similar study entitled COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults with HIV (by Stoeckl et al. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 8, August 2020, ofaa327, https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa327.)
J. M. Tesoriero, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 4 (2). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33533933