Patients With Chronic HBV Suffer Worse COVID-19 Outcomes, But Vaccination Against COVID-19 Reduces Risk Among Coinfected Patients, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (4/7, Basillio) reports a study found that “chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes, but vaccination against COVID-19 reduces the risk among coinfected patients.” Researchers observed that “COVID-19 vaccination among patients in the coinfected group was significantly associated with reduced risk of 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, and overall mortality.” They concluded, “Vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of death and the need for ICU admission, suggesting that vaccination could be an effective strategy for mitigating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 in individuals with chronic HBV infection.” The study was published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.