Isn’t HIV a perfect example of asymptomatic transmission? There are drugs that can lower the viral load, but there are also those from early during epidemic that only helped ease symptoms. There were many times people were not exhibiting symptoms yet they were spreading the virus at incredibly high rates. I’m not claiming to be a doctor but I think you are misunderstanding the relationship between viral load and symptoms…
Again, yes and no. If you consider every cough, sneeze to be a symptom then yes, you’re right but all of those can occur as a result of irritants in the environment.
HIV is different because it doesn't cause you to have a cough, or fairly visible symptoms, instead it shreds your CD4 count and makes you immunosuppressed. This is why many people can have high viral loads and while themselves and others are not be able to tell that they are sick.
Because it would manifest by them having a higher chance of getting things like lymphadenopathy (hard to detect sometimes), diarrhea (non specific, some people would brush it off), and things like candidal infections (it is natural flora but our immune system keeps it under control, unless you are immunosuppressed)
The other big one is body aches. How many people have chronic body aches? This is why you can technically be having symptoms but not have them be severe enough to catch your attention. - this is what people may call asymptomatic, but the likely reality is that they are not aware of their symptoms bc HIV can be "low key".
Isn’t HIV a perfect example of asymptomatic transmission? There are drugs that can lower the viral load, but there are also those from early during epidemic that only helped ease symptoms. There were many times people were not exhibiting symptoms yet they were spreading the virus at incredibly high rates. I’m not claiming to be a doctor but I think you are misunderstanding the relationship between viral load and symptoms…
Except it’s transmitted by bodily fluids. Even if you don’t have symptoms, you are, ahem, “injecting” your fluids into another person.
With COVID, you are only being exposed to aerosol drops, which don’t occur without coughing or sneezing (symptoms).
Understood the transmission method is different, I’m simply highlighting that viruses can be spread without the host exhibiting symptoms.
Right.
I just think STDs are a poor example, since there is an exchange there.
Respiratory viruses are spread by the symptoms.
Again, yes and no. If you consider every cough, sneeze to be a symptom then yes, you’re right but all of those can occur as a result of irritants in the environment.
HIV is different because it doesn't cause you to have a cough, or fairly visible symptoms, instead it shreds your CD4 count and makes you immunosuppressed. This is why many people can have high viral loads and while themselves and others are not be able to tell that they are sick.
Because it would manifest by them having a higher chance of getting things like lymphadenopathy (hard to detect sometimes), diarrhea (non specific, some people would brush it off), and things like candidal infections (it is natural flora but our immune system keeps it under control, unless you are immunosuppressed)
The other big one is body aches. How many people have chronic body aches? This is why you can technically be having symptoms but not have them be severe enough to catch your attention. - this is what people may call asymptomatic, but the likely reality is that they are not aware of their symptoms bc HIV can be "low key".
Treating people IRL is a different ball game