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There are fundamental differences between HIV and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that make developing a vaccine easier for one than for the other.
When Pfizer and BioNTech announced their astounding SARS-CoV-2 vaccine efficacy results in November, Arthur Reed was ecstatic.
“The global investment and coordination of billions of dollars enabling this unprecedented pace of scientific discovery is truly an incredible achievement,” he said.
But as a gay man in New York City living with HIV since the 1980s, he couldn’t help but wonder about the government and public response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, compared to the early days of HIV/AIDS.