HIV drugs can be effective against COVID-19

July 1, 2020  11:00

HIV patients are less likely to catch COVID-19 if they take a combination of tenofovir and emtricitabine as part of antiretroviral therapy (ART), Spain's health ministry reported.

According to a study cited by the health ministry, HIV patients' risk of testing positive for COVID-19 is no higher than in the general population. While those who take tenofovir/emtricitabine are less prone to COVID-19 than patients receiving other drugs.

The study was conducted in 60 Spain's clinics and involved 77,500 HIV patients. 236 of them tested positive for COVID-19, 151 were hospitalized, 15 were in intensive care units, and 20 died.

According to the authors of a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, additional tests are needed to confirm the effectiveness of various antiretroviral drugs for treating COVID-19.

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