Latest News on COVID-19 from Aidsmap

Aidsmap have written a useful overview of what we know about HIV and Covid-19. You can read the article here.

You can also read more about Covid-19 on the THT blog, written by their medical director, Dr Michael Brady. You can find the blog here.

INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY BHIVA 19 MARCH 2020

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that can infect mammals and birds. Seven strains can infect humans, typically causing mild illness (1 in 6 cases of the common cold are caused by coronaviruses) and more rarely serious illness.

There are currently no coronavirus vaccines or antiviral drugs but research teams across the globe are working tirelessly to change that. There have been headlines about using the HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir (uncommonly used for treatment in the UK) to treat coronavirus but no good evidence yet that it will work. The drugs used for PrEP are not active against coronavirus.

COVID-19 is a new condition caused by the SARS-CoV-2 strain of the coronavirus, which spreads very easily from person-to-person (much more so than some other types of coronavirus). Nobody has existing immunity to it. Although the estimated death rate of about 1 in 100 people sounds low compared to some infections, if very large numbers of people are infected that would result in a high number of deaths. Current data suggests that 1 in 5 people develop more severe illness, and large numbers needing hospital treatment could rapidly overwhelm health care systems - this is happening in Italy now. People most at risk of serious illness and death are the elderly and people with long-term medical conditions such as lung disease, kidney disease and diabetes.

However, about 80% of people with COVID-19 have relatively mild illness, which can lead to diagnosis of infection being delayed or missed altogether, which increases the risk of passing the virus on. Data from Japan estimates 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 have no symptoms – making control even harder.

In February the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' – giving WHO the legal right to make recommendations about dealing with it and (hopefully) stimulating funding and Government action. On 11th March 2020 WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, which is an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting large numbers of people.

BHIVA have issued answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Comment from the British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) on UK Government Guidance on Social Distancing to Protect Vulnerable Adults, published 16 March 2020

Tuesday 17 March 2020

The British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) have received a number of enquiries about the UK Government's Guidance that "members of the public with serious health conditions will soon be asked to self-isolate for 12 weeks." This is defined in the Guidance as "anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds" which includes anyone living with HIV.

Whilst there is no evidence so far to determine whether people with HIV are at greater risk of COVID-19 acquisition or severe disease the new advice reflects the lack of evidence by classifying all people with HIV as vulnerable.

The Guidance from Public Health England (PHE) on Social Distancing for Vulnerable Groups, including people with HIV is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults. The general advice in this does not go as far as to recommend self-isolation for all at risk, nor does it specify a duration of time for the self-isolation.

More detail is expected soon and this may include specific advice for people living with HIV based on viral load and CD4 count, as people on HIV treatment with a good CD4 and undetectable viral load are not usually considered to have a "weakened immune system" as specified in the PHE guidance. BHIVA and THT will aim to inform the HIV community about new developments in the field as they emerge but right now we recommend following PHE’s "social distancing" advice which does not necessarily mean "self-isolation."

For further information, please contact Jo Josh on +44 (0) 7787 530922 or jo@commsbiz.com

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What will help you live confidently with HIV?

We are in the process of finalizing our calendar of sessions, courses and events for the next year. We want to run information and advice sessions that are relevant and important to you, and help you to live confidently with HIV.

We have previously held talks on HIV treatment, ageing with HIV and HIV and the law.

We want to hear your ideas on what you would like us to cover this year.

You can send your ideas to Josh or call 0161 274 4499.