Evaluating the Relationship between Various Risk Factors and COVID-19 Incidence in People Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study

Title:Evaluating the Relationship between Various Risk Factors and COVID-19 Incidence in People Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study

Volume: 22 Issue: 3

Author(s): Hamid Harandi, Esmaeil Mehraeen, Soudabeh Yarmohammadi, Mehrnaz Rasoulinejad, Muhammad Ali Rasheed, Zohal Parmoon, Seyed Ali Dehghan Manshadi, SeyedAhmad SeyedAlinaghi*, Fatemeh Afroughi and Omid Dadras

Affiliation:

• Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviors, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract:

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) are more susceptible to acquiring and having serious consequences from COVID-19. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between COVID-19 infection and other risk factors in these patients.

Methods: This is a descriptive-analytical study recruiting 160 PLWH referred to the Behavioral Disease Counselling Centre of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran in 2021. The patients were selected through convenient sampling. A checklist was used to collect the necessary data. Descriptive statistical tests, such as mean and standard deviation, were employed alongside inferential statistics, including chi-square, Fisher, independent t-tests, and logistic regression, all evaluated at a significance level of p<0.05 using the R software.

Results: The patients' average age was 43.15 ± 11.23. Forty-four women and 116 men were present. A notable association was observed between the incidence of COVID-19 and variables such as hepatitis C and the duration of time since HIV diagnosis (p<0.001). Moreover, a strong correlation was found between the amount of COVID-19 vaccination doses given to patients and their probability of acquiring the disease. The first vaccination dose was linked to a 5.45 percent increase in COVID-19 incidence in patients, whereas the second and third doses (t=2.95, t=7.57) reduced the risk of getting COVID-19. Furthermore, no discernible link (p>0.05) was found between the use of various antiretroviral medications and COVID-19 infection.

Conclusion: This study finds that vaccine type does not impact COVID-19 outcomes in HIV-positive patients, but receiving more doses decreases the probability of occurrence of COVID-19, advocating for multiple vaccinations. However, PLWH, especially those non-compliant with antiretrovirals, need strict adherence to health protocols due to heightened vulnerability to viral illnesses.

Cite this article as:

Harandi Hamid, Mehraeen Esmaeil, Yarmohammadi Soudabeh, Rasoulinejad Mehrnaz, Rasheed Muhammad Ali, Parmoon Zohal, Manshadi Dehghan Seyed Ali, SeyedAlinaghi SeyedAhmad*, Afroughi Fatemeh and Dadras Omid, Evaluating the Relationship between Various Risk Factors and COVID-19 Incidence in People Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study, Current HIV Research 2024; 22 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/011570162X300999240515091324