Our findings show that a more terminally exhausted CD8 T cell profile, on the basis of expression PD-1hiEOMEShiT-betlowTIGIT+ and upregulation of Glut-1, characterizes viraemic infection that persists despite effective ART and differentiates HIV-specific from the more functional CMV-specific CD8 T cells. Here, SLC2A1 is linked to infection.