SARS-COV2 Seroprevalence in a Cohort of Perinatally HIV Infected Children and Young Adults From May to December 2020 in Italy

Abstract SARS-CoV2 is a new coronavirus which started spreading in December 2019 from Wuhan, China. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV2 antibodies allows to define a better picture of the spread of SARS-CoV2 infection in the population. The duration of SARS-CoV2 antibodies in the healthy population as well as in immunocompromised patients is still a topic of debate. HIV-infected people are at increased risk of developing complications from contracting a viral illness. Furthermore,their ability to develop and maintain an optimal immunological response to any kind of pathogen appears to be reduced.We analyzed the overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV2 antibodies in 85 HIV infected-people on ART aged between 5 and 34 years old from May to January 2021. 88,2%of patients were in a good state of viroimmunological control: 23 showed a VL<40cp/ml and 52 had an undetectable VL. When positive for SARS-CoV2 serology, a confirmatory nasopharyngeal swab for PCR assessment and a second serological assay would be performed.Out of the 85 patients, 5 proved to be positive for SARS-CoV2 antibodies (rate of prevalence 5.8%). In all 5 cases the nasopharyngeal swabs were negative and the second assay for SARS-CoV2 antibodies performed in 4 out of 5 patients a week later was negative as well. The anamnestic recall brought no elements of suspicion for a past infection.The duration of SARS-CoV2 antibodies after COVID19 disease is still poorly understood in healthy population and additional studies will be needed to define the durability of humoral responses in immunocompromised children and in particular in HIV infected children under effective ART. It is still unknown whether ART or their immunological impairment may in part mitigate the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, it will be interesting to analyze the impact of vaccination against SARS-CoV2 in HIV infected patients with a satisfactory virological control.