CORONAVIRUS AGAINST HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS OR PREDATOR VS. ALIEN

The author compares pandemics caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the previously proposed classification of infections, which is based on their different impact on main demographic indicators, such as mortality, fertility, life expectancy, and working capacity of the population. The HIV pandemic leads to deteriorating all of the above indicators, whereas the spread of SARS- CoV-2 only results in temporary disability and a slight reduction in the average life expectancy due to premature deaths in elderly people with chronic diseases. Although public attention is focused on the coronavirus, HIV infection poses a more serious demographic and economic threat to the population of Russia, since over the past 5 years it has been first diagnosed in more than 400,000 Russian citizens, whereas the total number of Russians living with HIV has exceeded 1,000,000. According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, HIV infection was named the main cause of death for more than 4% of able-bodied Russians who died in 2018. The HIV-positive residents of Russia who died in 2018 accounted for more than 8% of all the Russians who died at working age. In this connection, the paper discusses the problem of postmortem diagnosis, taking into account a variety of diseases associated with HIV infection. The author analyzes the contents of articles in this issue of the journal, which are devoted to HIV infection surveillance and treatment, and urges to activate preventive measures and to make health care better for Russians living with HIV.

coronavirus, pandemic, HIV infection