COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS

Background: Patients who are immune-compromised have a poorer outcome from most serious infections, but this may vary depending on the type of immune deficiency and the pathogens. This study is conducted to assess the effectiveness of ART in reducing mortality in HIV/AIDS patients suffering from COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Databases including PubMed, Medline and Scopus from May 2021 to June 2021were searched for studies describing effectiveness of ART in reducing mortality among HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 co-infection patients. Quality assessment of the articles was done using CEBM checklist for different study designs.486 studies were identified and only 8 were of fair and good quality. Statistical analysis was done using STATA version 16 based on random effect model. Results: Out of total study participants, above 92.2% of PLWHA were on ART therapy. ART was associated with a higher effectiveness among HIV & SARS-CoV-2 infection (Effect Size 85.41; 95% CI; 78.35-92.48). Conclusion: Findings conclude that among HIV patients receiving Anti-Retroviral Therapy and infected by COVID-19 disease, the risk of severity and mortality is comparatively less. Further investigation into the effectiveness of ART among HIV/AIDS co-infection is warranted.