The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with HIV: a cross-sectional study in Caracas, Venezuela

• Published in: BMC infectious diseases Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 87
• Main Authors: Forero-Peña, David A, Carrión-Nessi, Fhabián S, Forero-Peña, José L, Camejo-Ávila, Natasha A, Mendoza-Millán, Daniela L, Omaña-Ávila, Óscar D, Maricuto, Andrea L, Velásquez, Viledy L, Mejía-Bernard, Mario D, Rodriguez-Saavedra, Carlis M, Marcano-Rojas, María V, Contreras, Yoesmir, Guerra, Luis J, Alvarado, María F, Carballo, Martín, Caldera, Jocays, Guevara, Rafael N, Redondo, María C, Landaeta, María E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 15.01.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adolescent; Adult; AIDS; Antiretroviral agents; Antiretroviral therapy; Beliefs, opinions and attitudes; Clinical profile; Clinics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - therapeutic use; Cross-Sectional Studies; Epidemics; Epidemiology; Female; Health aspects; Health services; Highly active antiretroviral therapy; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV patients; HIV testing; Hospitals; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infectious diseases; Influence; Load tests; Male; Males; Missing persons; Pandemics; Patient compliance; Patients; Public health; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; Statistical analysis; Vaccines; Venezuela; Venezuela - epidemiology; Viral diseases; Venezuela; Latin America; United States > US; COVID-19; Venezuela; SARS-CoV-2; HIV; Clinical profile; Human immunodeficiency virus; Epidemiology
• ISSN: 1471-2334; 1471-2334
• DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08967-6

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted multiple health services, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, care, and treatment services, jeopardizing the achievement of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 90-90-90 global target. While there are limited studies assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Latin America, there are none, to our knowledge, in Venezuela. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among PLHIV seen at the outpatient clinic of a reference hospital in Venezuela. We conducted a cross-sectional study among PLHIV aged 18 years and over seen at the Infectious Diseases Department of the University Hospital of Caracas, Venezuela between March 2021 and February 2022. A total of 238 PLHIV were included in the study. The median age was 43 (IQR 31-55) years, and the majority were male (68.9%). Most patients (88.2%, n = 210) came for routine check-ups, while 28 (11.3%) were newly diagnosed. The majority of patients (96.1%) were on antiretroviral therapy (ART), but only 67.8% had a viral load test, with almost all (95.6%) being undetectable. Among those who attended regular appointments, 11.9% reported missing at least one medical consultation, and 3.3% reported an interruption in their ART refill. More than half of the patients (55.5%) had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the rest expressed hesitancy to get vaccinated. Most patients with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were male (65.1%), younger than 44 years (57.5%), employed (47.2%), and had been diagnosed with HIV for less than one year (33%). However, no statistically significant differences were found between vaccinated patients and those with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Older age was a risk factor for missing consultations, while not having an alcoholic habit was identified as a protective factor against missing consultations. This study found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a limited impact on adherence to medical consultations and interruptions in ART among PLHIV seen at the University Hospital of Caracas, Venezuela.