Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: There are limited data on SARS-CoV-2 testing practices and positivity among children and adults affected by HIV. The Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study enrolls children, youth, and adults with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV), non-perinatally-acquired HIV (NPHIV), perinatal HIV exposure but uninfected (PHEU), and infants/children with PHEU across the United States and Puerto Rico. A Health Status Survey was developed and administered from April 2020 to November 2021 to assess cumulative incidence (%) of self-reported (1) SARS-CoV-2 testing uptake and results by HIV status, age, and pandemic period; (2) moderate and severe respiratory illness; and (3) hospitalization. At least one survey was completed for 2,289 participants (PHIV = 444, NPHIV = 644, PHEU = 1201) through November 2021; 62% identified as Black and 33% as Hispanic. Participants' ages (years) ranged from 18-42 in PHIV, 19-57 in NPHIV, and < 1-28 in PHEU. Among PHIV, NPHIV, and PHEU, respectively, 43%, 35%, and 16% reported SARS-CoV-2 testing; of these, 18%, 16%, and 11% testing positive. The proportion tested was similar by race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, and income. Overall, 4% (87/2289) were hospitalized for any illness. 8% (174/2289) reported a respiratory illness "worse than the common cold," of whom 44% (76/174) reported SARS-CoV-2 testing, 49% (37/76) testing positive, and 13% (23/174) were hospitalized. The cumulative incidence of both SARS-CoV-2 positivity and severe COVID-19 disease as of November 2021 was lower than expected among persons affected by HIV. Testing access, uptake, and mitigation strategies in this population may explain these findings and inform strategies to prevent acquisition of respiratory viruses.Trial Registration Not applicable; this is not a clinical trial.
Source: AIDS and Behavior
Authors: Suzanne Siminski, Brad Karalius, Yanling Huo, Kathleen Malee, Renee Smith, Tzy-Jyun Yao, Deborah Kacanek, Kathleen M. Powis, Kunjal Patel, Emily A. Barr, Katherine Tassiopoulos, Elizabeth J. McFarland, Ellen G. Chadwick, Nagamah Deygoo, Denise L. Jacobson, for the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study, Emanuela Lela Lartey, Rohit Kalra, Mary Paul, Shelley Buschur, Chivon McMullen-Jackson, Lynnette Harris, Murli Purswani, Martha Cavallo, Mahboobullah Mirza Baig, Alma Villegas, Lisa Gaye Robinson, Alan Bernegger, Patricia Garvie, Sandra K. Burchett, Michelle E. Anderson, Christine M. Salois, Andrew Wiznia, Ray Shaw, Arry Dieudonne, Juliette Johnson, Karen Surowiec, Janet S. Chen, Taesha White, Mitzie Grant, Katherine Knapp, Erick Odero, Megan Wilkins, Nicolas Rosario, Heida Rios, Vivian Olivera, Margarita Silio, Medea Gabriel, Patricia Sirois, Stephen A. Spector, Megan Loughran, Veronica Figueroa, Sharon Nichols, Carrie Chambers, Christine Kwon, Robin McEvoy, Gwendolyn Scott, Grace Alvarez, Juan Caffroni, Anai Cuadra
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,590
Funders: Tulane University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
OpenAlex ID: W7140200026