Impact of COVID-19 Among Immigrant and Communities of Color Living with HIV in Oregon, 2020: Two Pandemics Rooted in Racism

Over 8100 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Oregon are at risk of acquiring COVID-19, and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by both COVID-19 and HIV. This study identifies factors associated with a positive COVID-19 test among PLWH in Oregon, with the goal of promoting health equity. We probabilistically linked COVID-19 laboratory results with laboratory-confirmed HIV cases. Crude and adjusted risk ratios of having a COVID-19 diagnosis were calculated for each covariate. Almost 6% of the 2390 PLWH tested for COVID-19 had a positive COVID-19 result. PLWH with positive results tended to identify as American Indian/Alaska Native or Hispanic/Latinx. Younger (age < 50) immigrant PLWH were more than twice as likely to have a positive COVID-19 result than did older (age ≥ 50) US-born PLWH. The pandemic has magnified disparities among American Indian/Alaska Native, Latinx, and younger immigrant PLWH. Dismantling institutional racism and redistributing power are strategies that could be considered to help reduce health disparities.