Factors associated with severe SARSCOV- 2 infection in people of Black ethnicities living with HIV in the UK

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionally affected people of black ethnicities, who have been at greater risk of SARS-CoV-2 acquisition, morbidity and mortality than those of white ethnicity. We describe factors associated with severe COVID-19 infection in the GEN-AFRICA cohort of people of black ethnicities living with HIV in the U.K. Method(s) First reported episodes of COVID-19 up to October 2022 were ascertained by direct questioning and/or medical records review. Pre-pandemic immune-virological and comorbidity status was based on measurements obtained prior to 01/2020 and used to identify risk factors for severe (requiring hospitalisation or resulting in death) COVID-19, using logistic regression Results: COVID-19 status was available for 1806 (72%) of 2503 GEN-AFRICA participants (mean age 49.2 [SD 10.2] years;56% female;80% sub-Saharan African and 14% Caribbean ancestry, median CD4 count 555 [IQR 400-733] cells/mm3;93% undetectable HIV RNA [<200 copies/ mL]);573 (32%) reported a clinical illness consistent with COVID-19;63 (3.5%) experienced severe COVID-19 (hospitalisation 59;death 4). Those who experienced severe COVID-19 were older, more often male, had lower CD4 counts and fewer had undetectable HIV RNA;they more often had prior AIDS, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Region of ancestry, nadir CD4 count, and obesity were not associated with severe COVID-19. In multivariable analysis, CD4 count <350 cells/mm3, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease were associated with increased odds of severe COVID-19 (Table). Sex and a pre-pandemic HIV RNA were associated with severe disease although this did not reach statistical significance. By October 2022, 1534 (88%) of this sample had received >=1 dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine;those who experienced severe COVID-19 were less likely to report vaccination (77% vs. 89%, p=0.01). Conclusion(s) By the end of October 2022, nearly onethird of people of Black ethnicities with HIV in this sample had experienced COVID-19;3.5% had developed severe COVID-19 disease. Pre-pandemic immunovirological and comorbidity status were associated with severe COVID-19. Black populations with less favourable HIV control than observed for GEN-AFRICA participants may have suffered greater COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. (Table Presented).