An article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in January 2021 discusses a growing body of evidence that people living with HIV (PLWH) may be at high risk for severe COVID-19 and have worse COVID-19 outcomes. The article provides multiple potential reasons for these clinical outcomes, including immunodeficiency in PLWH who are not engaged in care; excess inflammation, which is linked to severe COVID-19 outcomes, in PLWH who are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART); and a high prevalence of comorbidities among PLWH.

The authors call for prioritization of PLWH for COVID-19 vaccination into the same tier as people with other comorbidities that confer increased risk of severe COVID-19, as well as stronger guidance for care and counseling of PLWH in the face of structural inequities driving comorbidities and continued clinical uncertainties related to COVID-19.

Read the full article by Triant and Gandhi of Massachusetts General Hospital here.