Most of you know that two days ago I was looking at the initial report from AJMC article that is studying the effects of Covid-19 with patients already using ART (anti-retroviral treatment). This was the 78,000 person study of patients in Spain who has one of the highest per capita HIV infection rates in the world. The study is very interesting when it comes to how Covid-19 has effected the country of Spain's HIV community...with the result being very positive for people that are already taking these drugs. Very few people are getting the virus comparatively, and those that have are getting and staying much less sick. The death rate of 78,000 people was around twenty people.
Most of you also know that Gilead, the company that makes the antiretroviral combination that most of my friends take, Biktarvy, has all of the ingredients that seem to be working most successfully in this study. There are other combinations that are out there as well. Gilead is also the first company to manufacture a medicine approved for use in Covid-19 patients that is working to lessen the severity of that disease. Remdesivir has just been approved in the EU for use in the fight against this disease. It is also approved for use in ebolavirus infections. It is my understanding that Gilead has been manufacturing both for a while with drug approvals for HIV patients and COVID sufferers.
The survey is impressive and warrants attention. Certainly, I believe that the use of HIV ART combined with standard measures of precautions have kept me safe. It isn't scientifically proven yet because of the lack of study here in the United States, but the outlook is really good.
Here is the article you can read for yourselves...ART and Covid.
Lori has been crazy trying to get her hands on a supply of Biktarvy knowing that the COVID situation for someone like her, HIV positive, not on ART, with tuberculosis, a bacterial staph infection and Hepatitis C liver condition that isn't being treated is almost certainly a death sentence for her. COVID plus Lori's current situation is a casket in the ground...no joke. Since there are only four of us in the area that Lori has implanted, she has come after me looking for my ART supply which I have now had to take to my parent's home to be locked in the safe. I kept a supply of these drugs when I was switched to a different combination by my doctor. You have to be ready for anything in case Lori steals your meds...so I have a three month supply. Now that she has seen me take these meds to my parent's home, I have limited her number of Biktarvy patients to three...one is Missy, the other is Leah, and the last shall be unnamed. If you are one of these implanted people and you know you take this, remember, Lori will try to steal them because she knows that there is more going on with HIV ART and COVID than people know right now.
The gays always know when HIV and another disease don't mix...we've had some good results with ART and HIV patients so far. Is this a cure, ABSOLUTELY NOT, but it could be the best way to prevent long term sickness during COVID. The studies go on right now.
I have been using Gilead medicines for a very long time. I can tell you that I've experienced nothing but success with their HIV ART regimens. I am a believer in their pharmaceuticals and I know of their work with viruses. This is a very strong company that I like to tell people about. This should not be confused with COVID cures or anything like that, but what they are doing has been keeping me virus free for a very long time. The studies are out there and are continuing to mount up. HIV ART patients are generally on top of their situations...what we are hearing is quite promising!!! We hope the good folks at Gilead will continue to work on this COVID problem with their understanding of both HIV and ebola viruses.
