Statements:
Regarding the health effects of a corona infection with an HIV disease, the resident specialist for internal medicine Dr. Sebastian Huber: “Almost all scientific studies and investigations since the first Corona wave show that HIV patients with adequate antiviral therapy do not have an increased risk of corona infection. However, these patients have to be well adjusted, i.e. take their medication reliably In addition, for HIV patients – as well as for all other patients – the general risk factors (e.g. previous illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure; own age, etc.) must be taken into account The possibility of a quarantine should be considered. I recommend HIV patients here to stock up on an additional supply of antiretroviral drugs. “
“Unfortunately, the most insane claims are circulating on the internet. One of them is that HIV drugs protect against COVID-19. There is no scientific evidence that antiretroviral drugs protect against COVID-19. I appeal to HIV patients as well all other patients not to believe this fake news, “concluded Huber.
Mag. Willi Maier, Managing Director of Aidshilfe Salzburg, comments on the test offer from Aidshilfe Salzburg: “It should be noted that Aidshilfe Salzburg suspended the tests for almost two months during the first lockdown. Now – in the second lockdown, we are offering our tests as usual in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Health, so that you can be tested for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, chlamydia and gonorrhea every Monday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “
overview
We would like to give you a brief overview of the work of Aidshilfe Salzburg:
Aidshilfe Salzburg has been offering self-cleaning tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea (gonorrhea) since January 2020. These tests have been very well received so far. In Salzburg, 136 people had been tested for chlamydia and gonococci by the end of October. A total of 208 smears (of which 133 were oral, 44 vaginal, 31 anal) and 135 urine samples. 5 people tested positive for chlamydia and 8 people tested positive for gonorrhea. So that the people who have tested positive can receive good care, our clients, in cooperation with Dr. Taylor made an appointment of his own at the Infekt ambulance in Salzburg.
By mid-November, 20 people in Salzburg had tested positive for HIV. That is 13 people fewer than in the previous year. It should be noted here that Aidshilfe Salzburg suspended testing for almost two months during the first lockdown. Now – in the second lockdown, we are offering our tests as usual in consultation with the Federal Ministry of Health, so that you can be tested for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, chlamydia and gonorrhea every Monday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A trend similar to that in Salzburg can be observed across Austria in terms of new diagnoses. Here 217 people tested positive, while in 2019 there were significantly more with 430 people. The small number of new diagnoses will be discussed in more detail below.
Workshops, education and prevention work in schools
The greatest impact that the corona pandemic had on our work was undoubtedly the two school closings, as we were unable to hold any personal education workshops on sexually transmitted diseases during this time. Many workshops had to be canceled or held online due to Corona. After several training courses for our prevention staff, we managed to create an interactive online workshop that met our quality standards. We hope that the new workshop formats will be accepted just as well by teachers and students as our classic face-to-face workshops. We will work hard to continue to provide high quality education programs for students across the state of Salzburg.
In a normal year we reach about 5,000 students with our WS on sexual education.
Advice as a necessary basic need
HIV / STI counseling and the psychosocial counseling services offered by AIDS-Hilfen are system-relevant (health) services and are part of the basic biopsychosocial care of people with regard to their mental and physical health. They thus serve to cover the necessary basic needs.
People experience health as one of our greatest assets. The year 2020 in particular brings people to their limits due to massive cuts and measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only individuals are affected, couples and families also suffer from the current situation. People who previously had mental problems or illnesses are now often worse off.
It is all the more important that everyone who needs help has quick and unbureaucratic access to psychosocial help.
The current pandemic of COVID-19 is experienced by many people as an existential shock. People who already had psychological problems before the pandemic can now become even more insecure. We notice this in counseling especially for people who suffer from hypochondria, generalized anxiety disorders or phobias.
Phobias are focused fears. They are aimed at a certain object or a very specific situation (such as becoming infected with HIV). With hypochondria, people are afraid that the disease is already in the body, even if there are countless negative test results.
A phobia is linked to the presence or expectation of clearly identifiable, narrowly defined objects or situations (e.g. of spiders, dogs, mice, HIV, viruses, thunderstorms, tunnels, flies on the plane and many more).
Too late diagnosis of HIV due to the corona pandemic
We are also concerned that there are significantly fewer new diagnoses of HIV this year (note the difference between new diagnoses and new infections). Because of the restrictions, the lockdown, etc., significantly fewer people can be tested for HIV. We also notice this in the test counseling: significantly fewer people come to us at Aidshilfe Salzburg and want to take an HIV test.
In Austria, it always takes a relatively long time for people to find out about their HIV infection (about several years). This time window could now increase due to the corona pandemic.
“New infections” are those infections that have occurred in the past few months. These cannot be recorded, only estimated. Some people who are newly infected with HIV this year won’t find out about their infection until they take an HIV test in a few years. This is of course dangerous because during this time you can pass the HI virus on to other people. In addition, without medical treatment for HIV, your immune system will deteriorate. Other infections, such as COVID-19, can then lead to serious disease courses.
An example: Mr A contracted HIV during unprotected sex in 2017 (new infection in 2017). Today he is still unaware of his infection and has unprotected sex with a few other people. Since Corona is very present in 2020, Mr. A. forgets to be tested for a long time. He may not take a test until 2022 and find out about his HIV infection.
We expect an increased number of new diagnoses of HIV in the next three years. In the course of the contact restrictions, many people have decided not to go to a doctor or hospital and have themselves tested for HIV.
People also took PrEP less often in 2020, had to interrupt it because of the coronavirus pandemic, or were prescribed it less often. Thus, there will be more new infections with HIV because people have stopped taking PrEP.
PrEP stands for “Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis” (in German, for example, “Prevention before a risky contact”). HIV-negative people can take these HIV drugs to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV.
It has been shown that PrEP with the HIV drug Truvada® (active ingredients: emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil) works reliably, especially in men who have sex with men and who take high risks. With good therapy compliance, PrEP is just as safe as condoms. It protects against HIV, but not against other sexually transmitted diseases.
More severe disease courses if the diagnosis of HIV is too late
If HIV-positive are not diagnosed or diagnosed too late, this can also have negative consequences for those affected with regard to the more dangerous courses of COVID-19.
Most HIV-positive people infected with corona had mild to moderate symptoms. However, some had to go to the intensive care unit and died. The people who have died are people who have had other pre-existing conditions (such as those in the lungs) in addition to HIV. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to identify co-infections in HIV patients earlier and to treat concomitant diseases.
Those HIV-positive people in whom HIV is not treated with medication, i.e. who are not taking any medication against HIV, have the highest risk of a severe course of an infection with corona. This includes all those people who have become infected with HIV in the last few months or years and do not yet know that they are HIV positive. If HIV is not treated, the affected people have a worse immune system than treated people. An untreated HIV infection and the associated poor immune system are therefore pre-existing conditions for COVID-19.
So far there is no evidence that HIV-positive people have a worse prognosis in the event of an infection with COVID-19 if they are treated with medication for HIV and therefore have a good immune system.
Aidshilfe Services
Opening hours:
• Telephone advice and general information: Mon to Fri from 9 am to 1 pm; Mon and Thu from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Personal advice: Mon and Thu from 5 pm to 7 pm
• Testing for HIV, syphilis, hepatitis: Mon, Thu from 5 pm to 7 pm
• Psychosocial counseling and support for those affected: Mon to Fri from 9 am to 1 pm
AIDS Aid Salzburg
Innsbrucker Bundesstrasse 47
A-5020 Salzburg
Tel.: ++43-662-881488
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aidshilfe-salzburg.at
Author: Florian Friedrich
Psychotherapist in training under supervision (existential analysis)
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