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HIV
HIV AND CORONA -
WHAT POSITIVE
PEOPLE NEED TO
KNOW NOW
ENGLISH
Basically, a corona infection does not mean an
increased health risk for HIV-positive people on
therapy. Additionally, drugs used for managing HIV
also have no effect on the coronavirus.
HIV THERAPY HAS NO EFFECT ON
CORONA
At the beginning of the pandemic, there were
reports that protease inhibitors or tenofovir
had an inhibitory effect on the coronavirus.
But these were laboratory results that didn’t
hold up in practice, because extremely high
doses of antiretroviral agents would be required
to show an effect in humans. However,
those who are badly treated or not treated for
HIV have a weakened immune system, which,
in particular, increases the risk of lung diseases.
In these cases, deaths have been reported
in connection with SARS-CoV-2.
HIV AND VACCINATION
If you want to be vaccinated against corona,
you do not run an increased risk with a positive
HIV status. The vaccines used are exclusively
inactivated and cannot cause any disease. This
is also shown by the prioritization on the part
of the federal German government, which currently
“only” assigns HIV-positive people to the
fourth vaccination group. It is well understood
that HIV infection only poses an increased risk
in very specific and rare constellations — for
example with a viral load above the detection
limit or severe immune deficiency.
SIDE EFFECTS ARE PART OF THE
EFFECT
The side effects known so far are minor and
harmless. In fact, they are actually a good sign.
A fever, for example, shows that the immune
system is working and defending itself against
the intruders. Therefore, the term “undesirable
effects” is much more appropriate: you don‘t
want them, but they are part of the immune
response – and no reason to be afraid of a
vaccination or to reject it. Essentially, I advise
HIV-infected people the same as everyone
else: Avoid any unnecessary physical contact.
Because even if the individual risk appears
statistically low: The coronavirus is unpredictable.
No one can predict whether I will suffer
little if I contract the disease or die from an
infection. There is always a latent danger of
death from this virus. In return, you should
maintain social interaction, for example by
phone or the Internet, otherwise the inherent
isolation of social distancing can negatively
impact mental health. (bm,ts,sw)
www.prinzmed.de
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