Prevalence and factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in the Spanish HIV Research Network Cohort
Juan Berenguer, Cristina Díez, María Martin‐Vicente, Rafael Micán, Marı́a Jesús Pérez-Elı́as, Lucio García‐Fraile, Francisco Vidal, Inés Suárez‐García, Daniel Podzamczer, Jorge Del Romero, Federico Pulido, José Antonio Iribarren, Félix Gutiérrez, Eva Poveda, Carlos Galera, Rebeca Izquierdo, Víctor Asensi, Joaquín Portilla, Juan Carlos López, José Ramón Arribas, Santiago Moreno, Juan González‐García, Salvador Resino, Inmaculada Jarrín
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and factors associated with seropositivity and asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among people with HIV (PWH). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out within the cohort of the Spanish HIV Research Network. Participants were consecutive PWH with plasma collected from 1st April to 30th September 2020. We determined SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (Abs) in plasma. Illness severity (NIH criteria) was assessed by a review of medical records and, if needed, participant interviews. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of seropositivity among the following variables: sex, age, country of birth, education level, comorbidities (hypertension, chronic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, non-AIDS-related cancer, chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis), route of HIV acquisition, prior AIDS, CD4+ cell count, HIV viral load, nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (N [t]RTI) backbone, type of third antiretroviral drug, and month of sample collection. RESULTS: , 91.4% undetectable HIV viral load), SARS-CoV-2 Abs were detected in 91 PWH, a seroprevalence of 8.5% (95%CI 6.9-10.3%). Forty-five infections (45.0%) were asymptomatic. Variables independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity were birth in Latin American countries versus Spain (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.30, 95%CI 1.41-3.76, p 0.001), and therapy with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) versus tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)/FTC as the N(t)RTI backbone (aOR 0.49, 95%CI 0.26-0.94, p 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Many SARS-CoV-2 infections among PWH were asymptomatic, and birth in Latin American countries increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. Our analysis, adjusted by comorbidities and other variables, suggests that TDF/FTC may prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection among PWH.