People living with HIV may suffer more severe consequences from COVID, says World Health Organization

Patients infected with HIV have a higher chance of dying from COVID-19 by 30%, according to a new study from the World Health Organization. HIV-positive patients are also more likely to become severely ill from COVID, and more likely to die if hospitalized with the virus. The results follow past studies that downplayed the risk of COVID for HIV-positive individuals.

“It’s a little unfortunate that the narrative got out there initially that it was not a risk factor, because I do think people living with HIV should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines,” says Dr. Matthew Spinelli, HIV and infectious disease physician at San Francisco General Hospital.