Project #42:
HIV infection and COVID-19 related death.

This study aimed to investigate whether people with HIV had different risks of dying from COVID-19 compared with people without HIV.

We used anonymised electronic health records from GP practices and information from national death registrations to compare COVID-19 death rates between people who had a record of HIV in the GP record and people with no record of HIV. We also took account of other factors, like age and other illnesses, that might affect risk of COVID-19 death.

Over 17 million people were included, and 27 480 had a record of HIV. People living with HIV had higher risk of COVID-19 death than those without HIV after taking account of other factors and this was particularly pronounced in people of black ethnicity.

We concluded that people with HIV in the UK seem to be at increased risk of dying from COVID-19. Targeted policies should be considered to address this raised risk as the pandemic response evolves.