HIV services should ensure people likely to be at highest clinical risk of severe COVID-19 are contacted, advised to shield and flagged to the appropriate health body, says a new statement from the BHIVA. This includes:
- People with a CD4 count < 50 cells/microL
- People with an opportunistic illness within the last 6 months
- People with significant multi-morbidity.
The two other key recommendations are:
- HIV services should review how they manage patients at the highest clinical risk in order to safely minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
- HIV services should ensure people who have received any shielding advice in error have access to the correct information as provided by BHIVA and the Terence Higgins Trust.
The BHVIA issued the statement on 23 April. It relates to two groups: people considered to be at highest clinical risk who are not on the official list from the Chief Medical Officer, and people who have incorrectly received Government advice to shield.
The full statement is available at https://www.bhiva.org/COVID-19-and-shielding-advice-for-HIV-clinicians-GPs-and-people-living-with-HIV and contains detailed advice for HIV clinicians and GPs on implementation and links to the relevant NHS resources.
