SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Iranian People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Infection

A novel Coronavirus first emerging in Wuhan, China, was named severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is known as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). HIV-1 infected individuals may be at risk of COVID-19.

This cross-sectional study evaluated the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and COVID-19 prevalence among Iranian HIV-1-infected people.

The study was conducted on 155 HIV-1-infected patients from June 2020 to October 2020. COVID-19 Ab (IgG) was detected using an enzyme immunoassay in serum specimens. Furthermore, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens were collected. Then, the genomic RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was detected using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Clinical symptoms of the studied participants with and without COVID-19 were examined.

Of 155 HIV-1-infected individuals, 12 (7.7%) had positive real-time PCR results for SARS-CoV-2. Out of 12 (7.7%) patients with COVID-19, four (33.3%) were males. Anti-COVID Ab (IgG) was detected in 10 (6.5%) participants, of whom eight (80.0%) were males. The most common COVID-19 clinical symptoms, including dry cough, fever, runny nose, anosmia, and hypogeusia, were observed in seven (58.3%), five (41.7%), five (41.7%), five (41.7%), and five (41.7%) patients with COVID-19, respectively.

A recent study has shown that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-infected individuals is similar to that in the general population.