Introduction

There are conflicting studies on whether people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLHIV) present high prevalence of long-COVID (LC) as well as increased risk compared to HIV-uninfected people (PnLHIV). We aimed to summarize available data on LC among PLHIV compared to PnLHIV, identify gaps in knowledge, and recommend future research priorities.

Methods

This study was done according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and included studies published until November 2022. The study population consisted in PLHIV and/or PnLHIV, positive for COVID-19, with LC symptoms, according to the WHO. Cochrane Review Manager program was used for data analysis. Pooled prevalence values of each complication with 95% confidence intervals were analyzed.

Results

Out of 1246 articles retrieved only eight articles were included (none from Africa). 11 categories of LC were diagnosed in a cumulative number of 887 out of 1085 study participants, mostly affecting male over 50 years old. The pooled prevalence of LC in PLWHIV compared to PnLHIV was 11.28% vs. 10.48%, respectively; and a pooled odds ratio (OR): 1.17 (95% Cis: 0.91-1.51). These complications included symptoms such as shortness of breath (13.9% and 22.6%), cough (17.7% and 13.7%); headache (12.4% and 14.0%), taste (12.9% and 20%) and smell disorders (2.6% and 20%), in both PLHIV and PnLHIV, respectively. In PLWHIV the complications with high prevalence were memory loss/cognition issues (100%); trouble sleeping (33.3%) and fatigue (25.6%), whereas in PnLHIV were concentration problems (30.5%) and fatigue (26.5%).

Conclusion

This study shows a higher pooled prevalence of LC in PLHIV compared to PnLHIV, but the OR did not reach statistical significance, likely due to limited sample size of studies included. These data call for more studies from low- and middle-income countries and further investigations on the mechanisms in which HIV increase risk of LC.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; HIV; long-COVID-19;