SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-infected children and adolescents in Togo

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 and HIV infection are responsible for diseases that have rapidly reached pandemic scale, causing a significant burden of morbidity accompanied by fear among populations. The aim of this study was to describe the seroprevalence and clinical signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-infected children in Lomé in 2022. Methods: This was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study conducted from April 01 to June 30, 2022 in HIV-infected children and adolescents followed up at 03 sites. Results: A total of 206 children and adolescents were included. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 was 85.4%. The age group most affected was between 15 and 19 years, and 84.5% of respondents detected as positive for SARS-CoV-2 had not been vaccinated. Among SARS-CoV-2 positive cases, 42 (23.9%) had reported at least one sign attributable to COVID-19. Cough (57.1%), fever (42.9%) and headache (45.2%) were the main symptoms reported. Conclusion: This study enabled us to confirm the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the theory of a predominance of mild forms of COVID-19 over severe forms, in this population of HIV-immunocompromised children.