Evaluation of archived drug resistance mutations in HIV‐1 DNA among vertically infected adolescents under antiretroviral treatment in Cameroon: Findings during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Background With the success of antiretroviral therapy (ART), children born with HIV are more likely to reach adolescence. However, frequent non‐adherence to ART in adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) leads to viral replication. Notably, a viraemic infection might lead to archived drug resistance mutations (ADRMs). Hence, within the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, we aimed to compare the patterns of ADRMs in viraemic and non‐viraemic vertically infected ALHIV and to assess their immunity to and diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2. Methods A comparative study was conducted among COVID‐19‐unvaccinated ALHIV receiving ART in Yaoundé‐Cameroon over the period October 2021 to March 2022. Plasma HIV‐RNA was measured using Abbott® m2000rt; HIV‐1 genotyping was performed on buffy‐coat (HIV‐1 DNA) and ADRMs were interpreted using HIVdb.v9.0.1. Patterns of HIV‐1 ADRMs were compared between viraemic (≥ 1.60 log10HIV‐1 RNA copies/ml) and non‐viraemic (