SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-positive patients with or without antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa

The project "SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-positive patients with or without antiretroviral therapy in sub-Saharan Africa" ​​has published an article describing the project's progress. The article "COVID-19 and its effects on endothelium in HIV-positive patients in sub-Saharan Africa: Cardiometabolic risk, thrombosis and vascular function ENDOCOVID STUDY" provides a comprehensive overview of the project's background, goals and approach. During the project period, data has been collected from Nigeria and South Africa. The data sets have different content as South Africa has largely provided a basis for further research on over 200 participants. Various factors meant that follow-up of the patients could not be carried out, partly because skepticism about the health system in South Africa is limited. In Nigeria, fewer patients were included, but more here the possibility of follow-up was easier. This will affect the results. A start-up meeting was held in Mthatha, South Africa in February 2020. Unfortunately, the start-up coincided with the shutdown of many countries, including South Africa, which made fundraising difficult. Regardless, the kick-off meeting in South Africa initiated the project team, which established the basis for the collaboration, defined research questions and planned data collection. During the data collection period, a status meeting was held in Graz, Austria in June 2022. The meeting evaluated the project's progress, identified challenges and adjusted strategies. The partnership was strengthened through the exchange of experience and discussions. After the end of the data collection, a summary and discussion meeting was held in Oslo in October 2023. The results of the study were extensively discussed and assessed during the meeting in Oslo, where the project team together with relevant stakeholders shared insights, challenges and reflections. A final results and article meeting was held in Graz in November 2023. The project reached an important milestone with a dedicated meeting to present and discuss concrete results and the way forward. The article meeting in Graz represented a critical phase in the dissemination of the project's findings to the scientific community. Conclusion The ENDOCOVID STUDY has pursued its overall objective of evaluating SARS-CoV-2 infections in HIV-positive patients, assessing the severity of Covid-19, correlating with comorbidities, analyzing the effect of antiretroviral therapy and assessing the impact of Covid-19 on vascular function and coagulation . The study has collected data from Covid-19 patients in Mthatha, South Africa, and Lagos, Nigeria, over the past two years. The ongoing collection, analysis work and continuous quality assurance have been successful, even with the challenges that the pandemic has brought with it. The partnership has proved robust throughout the project's various phases, and the international collaboration has been crucial to the project's scope and success. The international article and the meetings in Graz, Oslo and Mthatha have served as a platform for sharing knowledge and communicating the importance of the project. The ENDOCOVID STUDY will continue to explore and analyze the data, prepare further publications and contribute to the global understanding of Covid-19's impact on people living with HIV. This report gives a glimpse of ENDOCOVID STUDY's work and challenges and emphasizes the international collaboration.