HIV patients face high risk of fatality

Vijayawada: People infected with HIV/AIDS face a high risk of fatality as they are unable to undergo regular blood tests to check their CD4 count indicating the status of their immunity level to fight Covid-19.

According to an estimate, nearly 1.91 lakh people infected with HIV are enrolled for getting anti-retroviral therapy at present. As the state government deputed some lab technicians working in ART centres for Covid-19 duty, the HIV-infected patients are unable to undergo regular tests to find out their CD4 count in the majority of ART centres.

In case the health condition of the infected patient further deteriorates, he or she will be subjected to viral load test by collecting the samples and sending them to a lab in Chennai. This test is also not being done at present.

There is no assessment of their CD4 count in the blood and also viral load in their body. This results in no provision of first line, second line or third line drugs, increasing their risk of fatality as they develop symptoms like weight loss, loose motions, continuous fev-er, throat pain and others. The HIV-infected patients are also more vulnerable to getting infected with tuberculosis and Covid-19.

A counsellor at an ART centre said, “We get several HIV patients daily with some of them showing high level of infection by dint of their physical appearance like weak and suffering continuous fever to undergo CD4 count test. As we don’t have lab technicians available we refer them to general doctors in the hospital to get their health checked and advise them to take some general drugs.”
Moreover, short supply of combo drug ‘zidovudine and lamivudine’ to give to the infected patients has aggravated their health condition.

People involving in high risk behaviour visit Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres to know their HIV status as the Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society had taken up a massive campaign earlier.
The lack of a lab technician at such centres results in absence of primary HIV test for such people. Such people may spread HIV to other sex partners.

As the lab technicians from ICTCs and ART centres were deputed to do Covid-19 work since April, the APSACS targeted HIV tests in ICTCs in both non-ANC (antenatal) and ANC categories for April and May could not be done in all 13 districts in the state. In non-antenatal category, out of the targeted 2,81,003 tests, only 25,181 were done in which 765 persons tested positive for HIV. In antenatal category, out of the targeted 1,46,300 tests, only 60,552 were done in which 68 persons tested positive.

However, from January to March, when lab technicians were present, in non-ANC category, out of the targeted 4,21,504 tests, 2,71,947 were done in which 3,913 persons tested positive. In antenatal category, out of targeted 2,19,450 tests, 2,03,086 were done with 172 testing positive.

Meanwhile, people in high risk behaviour and those on ante-retroviral therapy have urged the  state government to restore lab technicians to their regular job at ICTCs and ART centres so that they can undergo regular tests and take medication.

APSACS project director Dr T. Neerada did not respond to queries from Deccan Chronicle on the issue.