HIV carriers a fifth as likely to die from coronavirus, Madrid study suggests
- Spanish research claimed to be first comprehensive study of the effects on those with HIV compared with the general population in the same region
- Scientists previously found similarities between the viruses, although there is not yet solid proof that anti-HIV drugs can treat Covid-19
People with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) can theoretically die from a common cold because of their weakened immune system. But in Madrid the mortality rate of HIV-positive people who contracted Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was a fifth of that of non-HIV patients who had Covid-19, according to a study published in journal The Lancet last Thursday.
The results in the Spanish capital followed an earlier clinical observation in China that some patients taking a therapy for Aids – the condition caused by HIV – were almost entirely spared by Covid-19.
Scientists believe discovering the reason could improve understanding of Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus’ scientific name, and aid the development of drugs and vaccines to contain its global spread.
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Dr Pilar Vizcarra and colleagues from the Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal examined the medical records of nearly 3,000 HIV-infected individuals and identified 51 Covid-19 cases – an infection rate of 1.7 per cent, compared with 4 per cent for Madrid’s overall population.