Top 5 Most-Read HIV Articles of 2020

Four of our top 5 HIV articles for this year saw the HIV pandemic overlap with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. They also have in common Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who saw the nascence of the AIDS crisis in his first few years with the National Institutes of Health and took on another leading role this year on President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force. Our fifth article rounds out the list, itself a product of these overlapping pandemics, with its related conference, AIDS 2020, one of many forced to go virtual this year because of the COVID-19 crisis.

5. We Must Make HIV-Related Self-Care Famous, Panel Agrees

On the final day of this year’s virtual AIDS 2020 conference, which was to be held in San Francisco for the 30th anniversary of the first International AIDS Conference, this panel emphasized the importance of self-care among patients living with HIV and those considered to be at high risk of acquiring the virus. The discussion took on even greater importance with the explosive growth of telehealth since March, limited access to in-person care, and health care resources being redirected toward COVID-19. Self-care is a client-centered service, the panelists reiterated.

Read the full article.

4. Challenges and Similarities in HIV, COVID-19 Crises: A Q&A With Anthony Fauci, MD

This interview, the sixth in a series to mark The American Journal of Managed Care^®’s 25th anniversary, sees Fauci expound on the similarities of the AIDS and COVID-19 crises. He reflects on the amazing evolution of our knowledge of HIV, while pointing out that it now shares a common denominator with COVID-19: Both were new viruses humans hadn’t previously encountered. You will also see his thoughts on a then-potential vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), and why he believes there needs to be a balance between informing the public of new research and maintaining the integrity of scientific data.

Read the full article.

3. COVID-19 Questions HIV-Positive Individuals Want Answered

Just a few weeks after a national emergency was declared regarding COVID-19, the CDC issued guidance to stem concern and uncertainty among those living with HIV. Issues discussed included a possible higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and what to do to ensure optimal protection, such as having enough medication on hand for 30 days. Of particular importance was the CDC’s explicit instruction to not switch medication regimens in hopes of preventing COVID-19 and the importance of not spreading misinformation.

Read the full article.

2. Dr Anthony Fauci Speaks to the Likelihood of Vaccines for HIV and COVID-19

Here, Fauci details the profound differences between the causative viruses. COVID-19 seems to have a respiratory route with extremely efficient transmission and make a person severely ill quickly, while HIV is more insidious, because it’s a chronic illness and a person can go for many years not knowing they are sick. He also explains why a vaccine against HIV is less likely: The immune system has so far been unable to develop enough of a response to clear the virus, making it that much more difficult to come up with a vaccine to spur a reaction the body can’t come up with on its own.

See the entire video.

1. Researchers Warn of Heightened Risk of HIV With Certain COVID-19 Vaccines

Back before the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA and an approval for Moderna’s vaccine candidate was on the table, researchers cautioned that some potential vaccines could increase the risk of contracting HIV among certain patient groups. Adenovirus type-5 vaccines were their chief concern, based on previous research, with the higher risk appearing restricted to men only, especially those who were uncircumcised or who had unprotected anal sex with an HIV-seropositive partner or a partner with an unknown serostatus.

Read the full article.