What is Viral Load?

The viral load (VL) is simply measured to show the amount of virus per milliliter of blood. HIV load measurement uses a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to measure the amount of HIV RNA in the blood. The viral load is based on the number of copies (copies). Calculate the amount of virus per milliliter (ml), such as copies / ml. If the virus volume is below 100 copies / ml, it is "low", and above 100 000 copies / ml is "high".

Viral load

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The viral load (VL) is simply measured to show the amount of virus per milliliter of blood. HIV load is measured by a method called

Viral load detection

As with CD4 testing, viral load testing also has certain standards to measure. HIV load measurement is based on the number of copies (copies) and calculates how much virus per milliliter, such as copies / ml. If the virus volume is below 10,000 copies / ml, it is "low" and above 100,000 copies / ml is "high".

What is viral load "undetectable" for HIV

Each test method has a limitation that the minimum number of HIV cannot be measured. The lowest value of current equipment for detecting HIV in the blood is 50 copies / ml. Any blood sample that falls below this threshold indicates that the amount of virus is below the measurable limit, and the report generally shows that it is below the measured value, which means "not detectable". This does not mean that there is no virus in your blood, but the amount of virus is between 0 and 50 copies / ml, because the amount is too low for the instrument to detect. However, the "undetectable" virus in the blood will still be widespread in semen, vaginal secretions, bone marrow, and internal organs. You may still pass it to others through unsafe sex or shared needles, and the virus will continue at the right time. Mass copy.

CD4 Effect of viral load on CD4 cells

The study found that people with the same number of CD4 cells had a higher rate of disease deterioration than those with lower virus volumes. For those who have not taken anti-HIV drugs, a combination of viral load, CD4 count, and symptoms can help predict future symptom development and help infected people decide whether to start taking the drug. For those who are taking the drug, the viral load test can help understand the efficacy of the drug, and can also provide a basis for adjusting the treatment plan and the existence of drug resistance. If anti-HIV drugs are effective, the amount of virus in infected people will decrease.

For infected people, in addition to testing the immune system's CD4 cells, it is also necessary to care about the virus' replication in the body. Therefore, under conditions, virus load testing should be performed regularly.