HIV and Covid 19 Coinfection, A Local Perspective: A Retrospective Study from Qatar

Background : People living with HIV might be at an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 disease. In this report we aim to study patients with HIV/COVID 19 coinfection seen in Qatar and examine the effects of this coinfection on disease course and attempt to identify factors that may be associated with severe disease. We also attempt to compare our finding with that of a previous study conducted in Qatar in view of the emergence of new SARS CoV-2 variants and the widespread use of COVID 19 vaccine. Method : Review of the medical records of all HIV infected patients who developed COVID 19 infection during the period between 27 th February 2020 and 31 December 2022. Results : Among the 329 HIV infected patients who were living in Qatar during the study period we identified 136 patients with HIV/COVID 19 coinfection. 90 were Qatari and the rest were from other nationalities. 117 patients were males and 19 were females with a median age of 34 [IQR 28-59] years. 111 were known to be HIV infected before COVID 19 diagnosis and 25 were found to have HIV infection at the time of COVID 19 diagnosis or shortly after. 50 patients developed COVID 19 infection either before receiving SARS CoV-2 vaccine or in less than 14 days after the first vaccine dose and after a median of 246 days from last vaccine dose in the 86 vaccine recipients. Reinfection was relatively common occurring in about 9% of patients, however occurring after a median of 332 and 267 days from previous infection and last vaccine dose respectively. The disease was mild with hospital admission. There was no disease related mortality. Conclusion : The clinical manifestations of patients with HIV/COVID 19 coinfection seen in Qatar were similar to that reported by others, however, they were younger with male preponderance and is mostly mild to moderate in severity. Most infections occurred in the third year of the study (57%) when the Omicron variant was the predominant strain circulating in Qatar. Most infections occurred either in unvaccinated patients, within 14 days after the first dose or after a long period form the last vaccine dose. The outcome was excellent with no disease related mortality.