COVID-19 advice from the British HIV Association (BHIVA)

updated 21st October 2021

BHIVA advice on the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for people living with HIV is now available here.

The easing of restrictions should not encourage people to stop adhering to recommendations on social distancing. Please keep up-to-date with the advice via GOV.UK channels (as below). We advise that people living with HIV (PLWH) should continue to follow Government advice regarding hand washing, distancing and face coverings.

We still do not have enough evidence yet on whether HIV affects risk of harm from COVID-19. So far, there have been only a few large cohort studies examining the impact of COVID-19 for people living with HIV, and the majority of these studies include only a small number of patients. Whilst some studies report a higher risk of COVID-19 related death for people living with HIV, others do not. Any increased risk is relatively small and no analysis has fully adjusted for potential confounders, such as kidney disease, diabetes or obesity, which might affect the results. We need more information to better understand your risks; this will come in the future.

Please note that there is no evidence to date that antiretrovirals, as HIV treatment or as PrEP, have any potential for treating coronavirus.