ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: People living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are ander risk for co-infection with SARS-CoV-2. This population may be more prone to complications from COVID-19 due to persistent inflammation caused by HIV and higher incidence of metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, and malignancies, as well as being considered elderly at 50 years of age. The objective of this study was to report SARS-CoV-2 infection frequency, clinical evolution, and mortality in HIV-positive patients on antiretroviral therapy. METHODS: The period of inquiry ranged from January to September 2020. Due to the social distance and the suspension of in-person medical care during the time of the investigation, we sent electronic questions about demographic, epidemiological, and clinical data, to 403 patients HIV-infected. RESULTS: Among 260 patients who answered the questionnaire, thirty-nine patients (15%) had suggestive symptoms and were tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of this, 11 had positive results (32.4%), no patient died of COVID-19 complications. Nine are male (3.4%), and the mean age of the patients with positive results was 43.2 years (± 9.6). 107 patients (41.1%) were over 50 years of age and their mean T-CD4+ cell count was 768 cells. Eleven patients (4.2%) had a detectable HIV RNA viral load and 127 (48.8%) had comorbidities. These variables were not associated with increased risk for infection. CONCLUSION: The frequency of Sars-Cov2 infection among HIV-infected is similar to the general population, and the clinical course is associated with the presence of comorbidities and not due the HIV infection. However, new studies shoud bem done to access if this vulnerable population could be answer to the vaccine anti-SARS-Cov2.