HIV patients with low CD4 count vulnerable to Covid-19

Bengaluru: HIV patients on effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) are not at greater risk of being infected with coronavirus. However, those with low CD4 count and not on ART, they are vulnerable to virus, according to Dr Swati Rajagopal, Consultant, Infectious Disease and Travel Medicine, Aster CMI Hospital.

"As per data available people with HIV who are on effective ART are not at greater risk of acquiring Covid 19. Current evidence suggests that well controlled HIV is less of a risk factor for severe Covid-19 than other medical comorbids," she said.

Responding to The Hans India on how complicated could things get in the treatment of HIV patients infected with coronavirus, Ms Rajagopal said, "Complications in individuals with low CD4 count (less than 200 copies) of high viral load or coexistent opportunistic infections like tuberculosis include respiratory failure, multi organ failure. Standard treatment protocols for Covid-19 management are extended even to this subset of patients. The mortality rate is higher only among untreated HIV."

With continued scientific advances, researchers have acknowledged that there will be successive generations of interventions leading to an HIV cure. Those solutions, though now looking promising, seem to be still way off.

Stating that HIV treatment has evolved in the last two decades with better diagnostics and better treatment strategies patients are able to have better quality of life, Rajagopal observed that it is no longer a death sentence.

"I am optimistic that in next few years we should have better curative treatments for HIV because of the ongoing research in terms of curative options and preventive options like vaccines," she said.