AIDS cases in Ottawa: A review of simultaneous HIV and AIDS diagnoses

The evolving HIV epidemic in Ontario, Canada: A retrospective analysis of new HIV diagnoses to identify subpopulations with persistent risk of HIV transmission

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to characterize new HIV diagnoses in key Ontario cities, in order to understand current drivers of continued HIV transmission to inform HIV testing and prevention efforts.

METHODS

Chart reviews were carried out at four clinical sites in Ontario, Canada. The study population included individuals who were diagnosed with HIV in Ottawa, Hamilton, and Toronto between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, and had no previous evidence of HIV documented.

RESULTS

The total number of persons in this analysis was 359, from Toronto (n = 201), Ottawa (n = 88), and Hamilton (n = 70). More than half of the diagnoses were among those who immigrated to Canada, and many were diagnosed (11%) during the year they arrived. Many participants experienced a late diagnosis (43.2%), and while 116 (32.3%) had HIV testing history in Ontario, 155 did not (43.2%). Many participants were men who have sex with men (MSM) and had a previously recorded diagnosis of gonorrhea or chlamydia (n = 27; 7.5%) or syphilis (n = 39; 10.9%). Among women and heterosexual men, a diagnosis of hepatitis C (n = 18; 5.0%) appeared to signal a risk of HIV diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

These data show that HIV testing and prevention strategies should be targeted to (1) MSM with a history of syphilis, gonorrhea, or chlamydia; (2) heterosexual men and women with a history of hepatitis C; and (3) immigrants within the first 5 years of migration. To address the evolving epidemic, it will be necessary to employ targeted HIV screening and prevention measures.

HIV and SARS-CoV-2 Co-Infection: From Population Study Evidence to In Vitro Studies

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have caused two major viral outbreaks during the last century. Two major aspects of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection have been extensively investigated and deserve attention. First, the impact of the co-infection on the progression of disease caused by HIV-1 or SARS-CoV-2. Second, the impact of the HIV-1 anti-retroviral treatment on SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this review, we aim to summarize and discuss the works produced since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ranging from clinical studies to in vitro experiments in the context of co-infection and drug development.