Image credit: allinonemovie from Pixabay
While the global coronavirus pandemic currently has the world’s attention, it doesn’t mean that other deadly diseases have stopped claiming lives. As the world struggles with COVID-19, there are still those who battle already existing diseases like HIV.
In a statement released on their website, the British pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare say they will be addressing both HIV and COVID-19 with £3 million put into the Global HIV and COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
This recently launched fund intends to “make available critical financial resources for research projects to study the medical and scientific impact COVID-19 is having on people living with HIV and community-based grants to help address specific challenges to the HIV community created by the global pandemic.”
Deborah Waterhouse, CEO of ViiV Healthcare, said in the company statement that this is part of the company’s mission to “leave no person living with HIV behind.” Waterhouse also noted that their company’s majority owner, GSK, is one of the many companies that are working to produce a vaccine that can be used against COVID-19.
The fund will certainly be helpful as there is currently not a lot of research on how the coronavirus is impacting the lives of those already living with HIV.
At the moment, what is known is that those infected with HIV do not necessarily have a higher risk of catching it, so long as their viral load is undetectable. However, those with a detectable viral load are more susceptible to catching the coronavirus and it would probably be better for them to practice social distancing, quarantine themselves at home, and avoid face-to-face contact for three months.
Funds such as this one are sorely needed, as it does not look like the COVID-19 pandemic is going to stop anytime soon. According to the World Health Organization update for May 1st there are now over 3,269,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are now at 234,000.
In the United States, the April 28 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pegs the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 981,246 people. Fatalities are now at 55,258.
HIV transmission rates are down because of stay-at-home orders. Great News: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/05/hiv-transmission-rates-stay-home-orders/
I think it is more that people dont go get tested because they are stuck in their home… it can be dangerous
Those numbers do not bespeak of any ‘recent’ flu pandemic, I wish that was abundantly clear by now. And the expected duration of it, like no other; other than HIV/AIDS of course.
Of course, the United States has high numbers when it comes to Covid-19. It is the 3rd largest country by population. It tests a much higher percentage of its population than other countries. It has a much better system for reporting test results than other countries. If comparisons are to be made between countries when it comes to their response to the virus, a fuller and truer story is revealed when the data is presented on a per capita basis.
FYI we test more than USA in Quebec. Germany also…
Not because Donald Dump says he tests more, that he does. You need to stop watching FOX news.
According to numbers reported by Canada, the US has done tens of thousands more tests.
yes now check out how many people in USA vs how many people in Canada. Then do the maths
The US population is about 10 times that Canada. Do whatever”maths” you wish. Check CNN in advance to be sure they haven’t already interpreted the numbers some other way to support some other views comparing eagles to maple leafs.
Not Maple Leafs in Quebec dear. Each province handle their own health care. Google it
Ah yes. Quebec isn’t Canada. So you’re gonna go ahead and compare it to the entire US. Do the “maths”.
lol, testing divided by number of citizen = a rate.
Yes Quebec rate is very high.
I review feeds from six major media organizations throughout the day, each with their own biases/political positions.
The six plus the random feeds that my phone brings in (I view the rsndoms when I have downtime) really expose who the people are that are biased. Actually, everyone is to some extent. Fortunately, many can be without being hateful. And most can talk to each other without being arrogant or nasty over a difference of views.
Only one percent of the country has been tested. That seems absolutely dismal to me.
How can you say we test a higher percentage of our population? What are you basing that statement on? We couldn’t even get tested in this country until last month. My friend, who was symptomatic and had been to 10 cities on 2 continents since January was refused a test when she went to the hospital in March. She was told that the few test kits they had available were earmarked for the elderly and front line personnel and since she was young and otherwise healthy they could not test her. That is the reality of what was going on… Read more »
same, I have a friend in NYC who was sick like a dog and was refused a test. I think Hunter believes everything the orange man says.