A young South African HIV patient harboured COVID virus for nine months and it developed more than 20 mutations, a study revealed.
As she stopped her HIV treatment, the virus accumulated "more than 20 additional mutations" in her body, said researchers from the Universities of Stellenbosch and KwaZulu-Natal, among others.
However, with anti-retroviral therapy, the HIV was "suppressed" and COVID virus was "cleared within 6-9 weeks".
The study demonstrated that COVID-19 may mutate rapidly in those whose immune system is weakened by HIV infection.
It has already been observed that COVID-19 can linger for many months in patients who are HIV positive but who have, for varying reasons, not been taking the medicines that would enable them to lead healthy lives.
According to some scientists, it is "highly plausible".
Late last year, a South African research team found an untreated HIV patient who was infected with COVID-19 for more than six months.
The team found that the person had a string of mutations that affected the spike protein.
(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT.)
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