Article Text
Statistics from Altmetric.com
The new coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 has spread dramatically across Europe, impacting national healthcare systems, particularly in Spain, the UK, France and Italy. As of 30 August 2020, these countries accounted for 75.2% of total mortality for COVID-19 in Europe.1 The WHO estimates that in these top 4 European countries, there are approximately 550 000 people living with HIV (PLWH) who need routine clinical assistance.2 Recent observations suggest their access to care can be seriously hindered by shifts in clinical efforts of HIV specialists towards patients with COVID-19.3
Ensuring retention in care for PLWH is essential to maintain drug-associated viral suppression, effective physical monitoring, drug side-effect surveillance and reductions in HIV transmission and mortality.4 Moreover, during the COVID-19 crisis, maintaining HIV continuum appeared relevant also to monitor some common conditions among PLWH, such as diabetes, hypertension, immune-inflammation disorders and ageing,5 which …