DoxyPEP: Using antibiotics to prevent STIs
Man, 60, Declared 'free' Of HIV After Revolutionary Cancer Treatment – Making Him The 7th Person To Be 'cured'
A SEVENTH person has been "cured" of HIV after revolutionary stem cell treatment, it is hoped.
The man, 60, who also had acute myeloid leukaemia when he had the procedure to replace his bone marrow in October 2015, is now thought to be free of both diseases.
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Seven people are thought to be free of HIV after undergoing revolutionary treatmentCredit: Getty"A healthy person has many wishes, a sick person only one," he said.
The patient, from Germany, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been dubbed "the next Berlin patient".
The original Berlin patient, Timothy Ray Brown, was the first person to be declared "cured" of HIV in 2008. He died from cancer in 2020.
The second man's long-term HIV remission was announced ahead of the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich next week.
He was first diagnosed with HIV in 2009, according to the research abstract being presented at the event.
The man received a bone marrow transplant for his leukaemia - a type of blood cancer that affects blood cells in your bone marrow - in 2015.
The procedure, which has a 10 per cent risk of death, essentially replaces a person's immune system.
He then stopped taking antiretroviral drugs - which reduce the amount of HIV in the blood - in late 2018.
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Boy, 14, dies from brain-swelling bat virus with 'pandemic potential'Nearly six years later, he appears to be both HIV and cancer free, the medical researchers said.
Christian Gaebler, from Berlin's Charite University Hospital, where the man was being treated, said that the team cannot be "absolutely certain" every last trace of HIV has been eradicated.
Man 'cured' of HIV and cancer in astonishing medical recovery after 'groundbreaking' stem cell transplantBut "the patient's case is highly suggestive of an HIV cure," Gaebler added.
"He feels well and is enthusiastic about contributing to our research efforts."
International AIDS Society president Sharon Lewin said researchers hesitate to use the word "cure" because it is not clear how long they need to follow up such cases.
But more than five years in remission means the man "would be close" to being considered cured, she told a press conference.
There is an important difference between the man's case and the six other HIV patients who have reached long-term remission, she said.
The longer we see these HIV remissions without any HIV therapy, the more confidence we can get that we're probably seeing a case where we really have eradicated all competent HIV
Dr Christian GaeblerAll but one received stem cells from donors with a rare mutation in which part of their CCR5 gene was missing, blocking HIV from entering their body's cells.
Those donors had inherited two copies of the mutated CCR5 gene - one from each parent - making them "essentially immune" to HIV, Ms Lewin said.
But the new Berlin patient is the first to have received stem cells from a donor who had inherited only one copy of the mutated gene.
Around 15 per cent of people from European origin have one mutated copy, compared to one per cent for both.
HUGE PROMISEResearchers hope the latest success means there will be a much larger potential donor pool in the future.
The new case is also "promising" for the wider search for an HIV cure that works for all patients, Ms Lewin said.
"This is because it suggests that you don't actually have to get rid of every single piece of CCR5 for gene therapy to work," she added.
The Geneva patient, whose case was announced at last year's AIDS conference, is the other exception among the seven.
He received a transplant from a donor without any CCR5 mutations, yet still achieved long-term remission.
This showed that the effectiveness of the procedure was not just down to the CCR5 gene, Ms Lewin said.
The 7 'cured' of HIV
HIV is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease.
An estimated 106,890 people are living with the condition in the UK.
In most cases, it spreads through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person.
Most people will experience flu-like symptoms two to six weeks after being infected.
This tends to include a sore throat, fever and a rash all over the body, which lasts one to two weeks.
After this, HIV may not cause any symptoms at all, but the virus continues to damage your immune system.
Some people go on to experience weight loss, night sweats, thrush in the mouth, an increase in herpes or cold sore outbreaks, swollen glands in the groin, neck or armpit, long-lasting diarrhoea, and tiredness.
While there is no cure for HIV, there are very effective treatments that enable most people with the virus to live long and healthy lives.
Medication now reduces the amount of the virus in the body to the point of being undetectable, meaning it cannot be transmitted.
Dr Gaebler said: "The longer we see these HIV remissions without any HIV therapy, the more confidence we can get that we're probably seeing a case where we really have eradicated all competent HIV."
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Timothy Ray Brown, also known as 'the Berlin patient', was the first to be 'cured' of HIVCredit: AP:Associated Press4
Paul Edmonds (right) who is considered 'cured' of HIV, with Dr Ahmed AribiCredit: cityofhope4
'The London patient' who later identified himself as Adam CastillejoCredit: adam castillejoWhat is a stem cell transplant?
A stem cell or bone marrow transplant replaces damaged blood cells with healthy ones.
It can be used to treat conditions affecting the blood cells, such as leukaemia and lymphoma.
There are five main stages:
There are risks involved, including graft versus host disease, when transplanted cells start to attack the other cells in your body.
But stem cell transplants also transform the lives of many.
Source: NHS
HIV Symptoms
HIV infection happens in three stages. Without treatment, it gets worse over time and eventually overpowers your immune system. Your symptoms will depend on your stage.
Symptoms of HIV can look a lot like those of other viral illnesses. If you have HIV, your symptoms could look different from those of someone else. Your symptoms will depend on how long you've had HIV and other factors.
What is usually the first sign of HIV?
The only way you can know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. Although the virus can cause symptoms, these are not a reliable way to tell if you're infected. In fact, some people won't have any symptoms at all. So even if you don't have any of the typical signs of an infection, you should always get tested if you think you are at risk.
You shouldn't expect to know if you have HIV or not based on symptoms alone. Even if you do have symptoms related to HIV, it will be hard to tell. That's because early symptoms of HIV look a lot like the flu or many other infections you might have.
The early symptoms of HIV can look like the flu or lots of other illnesses. You also could have HIV without any symptoms. The only way to know for sure is to take an HIV test. (Photo Credit: Moment RF/Getty Images)
How long does it take to get HIV symptoms?
Some people notice flu-like symptoms 1-4 weeks after they're first infected. These often only last a week or two. This first stage is called acute or primary HIV infection. Then, you may go for 10 years or more without any more symptoms. This is called asymptomatic HIV infection. Even though you feel fine, the virus is still active in your body. And you can still give it to someone else.
Once HIV has seriously harmed your immune system, you're at risk for diseases that a healthy body could fight off. In this stage, symptomatic HIV infection, you start to notice problems caused by these "opportunistic" infections. This means that you may have symptoms, but they are being caused by other infections or illnesses you are more prone to getting when you have HIV.
You probably won't know right away when you've been infected with HIV. But you may have symptoms within weeks after getting the virus. This is when your body's immune system puts up a fight. It's called acute retroviral syndrome or primary HIV infection.
These symptoms may come up sooner as your body tries to fight off the virus. These early or acute symptoms may go away in a week or a month.
Flu-like symptoms
The symptoms are similar to those of other viral illnesses, and they're often compared to the flu. They typically last a week or two and then go away. Early signs of HIV include:
HIV fatigue
When you have HIV, it can be very normal to feel extremely tired or fatigued. In the acute phase, the virus itself may leave you tired. Later on, you could have fatigue for many different reasons, including:
If you have HIV or think you might have HIV and are feeling fatigued, let your doctor know. It's important to figure out the cause of your fatigue so that you can get help.
HIV rash
You may get a rash when you have HIV. The rash could be caused by the HIV itself early on in the infection. But other things may also be causing you to have a rash. These include:
When you have HIV, you will have a weakened immune system. As a result, you may be more likely to get other illnesses as well, which can come with common symptoms including a rash. If your rash is caused by medicine, you may need to see your doctor to find out if you should try a different one.
Most of the time a rash is not serious. But in some cases, a rash from HIV medicines can be serious or even life threatening. Some HIV medicines can cause a hypersensitivity reaction known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Signs of this condition include:
If you have HIV and a rash, let your doctor know.
Mouth symptoms and HIV infection
When you have HIV, it may affect your mouth first. Most people with HIV will have some signs in their mouths. Some signs and symptoms of HIV in your mouth include:
When to see a doctor about acute HIV infection symptoms
If you have symptoms like these and might have come into contact with someone with HIV in the past 2 to 6 weeks, go to a doctor and get an HIV test. If you don't have symptoms but still think you might have come into contact with the virus, get tested.
Early testing is important for two reasons. First, at this stage, levels of HIV in your blood and bodily fluids are very high. This makes it especially contagious. Second, starting treatment as soon as possible will help boost your immune system and ease your symptoms.
A combination of medications (called HIV drugs, antiretroviral therapy, or ART) can help fight HIV, keep your immune system healthy, and keep you from spreading the virus. If you take these medications and have healthy habits, your HIV infection probably won't get worse.
After your immune system loses the battle with HIV, the flu-like symptoms will go away. But there's a lot going on inside your body. Doctors call this the asymptomatic period or chronic HIV infection.
HIV and your immune system
In your body, cells called CD4 T cells coordinate your immune system's response. During this stage, untreated HIV will kill CD4 cells and destroy your immune system. Your doctor can check how many of these cells you have with blood tests. Without treatment, the number of CD4 cells will drop, and you'll be more likely to get other infections.
HIV asymptomatic period
Most people don't have symptoms they can see or feel at this stage. You may not realize you're infected and can pass HIV on to others. If you're taking ART, you might stay in this phase for decades. You can pass the virus on to other people, but it's extremely rare if you take your medicines.
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It's the most advanced stage of HIV infection. This is usually when your CD4 T-cell count drops below 200 and your immune system is badly damaged. You might get an opportunistic infection, an illness that happens more often and is worse in people who have weakened immune systems. Some of these, such as Kaposi's sarcoma (a form of skin cancer) and pneumocystis pneumonia (a lung disease), are also considered "AIDS-defining illnesses."
If you didn't know earlier that you were infected with HIV, you may realize it after you have some of these symptoms:
People with AIDS who don't take medication live for about 3 years, or less if they get another infection. But HIV can still be treated at this stage. You can live for a long time if you start on HIV drugs, stay on them, follow your doctor's advice, and keep healthy habits.
There's no way to cure HIV. But most people today who know they have HIV and get treatment never get AIDS. That's because medicines can stop the virus from damaging your immune system. This is why it's so important to get tested if you think you are at risk of HIV whether you have any symptoms or not.
When you have HIV and are in treatment, some symptoms you have could be from the medicine you're taking. HIV medicines can help you stay healthy with the virus and make sure you don't pass it on to anyone else. But you may have side effects, too.
Any side effects you have may depend on what medicine you're taking. Some side effects may go away after a few days or weeks. Side effects that may come up and then go away include:
Some other possible side effects could come up later. For instance, you may be more likely to get high cholesterol from certain HIV medicines. If you're taking medicine for HIV or other conditions, talk to your doctor about what side effects you should watch out for.
In the beginning, HIV symptoms can look like other viral illnesses. You also could have no symptoms at all and have HIV. More severe symptoms tend to come up later if your immune system is damaged from untreated HIV. When you have HIV and are in treatment, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about any symptoms you're having to figure out the cause.
How long can one live with HIV without knowing?
Early on, HIV can cause symptoms. But they usually look like many other viral illnesses. Your symptoms also will likely go away after a week or month. Symptoms of advanced HIV usually don't show up for many years. The only way to know if you have HIV and could pass it on to other people without knowing is to get tested.
How can you know if someone has HIV?
An HIV test is the only way to know if you or anyone else has HIV or not. If you're worried you could get exposed to HIV or are at risk of an infection, take steps to protect yourself. Use condoms the right way. Don't inject drugs or use sterile needles if you do. Ask your doctor if you should think about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which means you'd take HIV medicine to prevent an infection.
How does HIV make you feel?
People with HIV can feel different ways. Many symptoms can look similar to those of many other conditions. You shouldn't rely on symptoms to figure out if you have HIV or not.
Can HIV be cured at an early stage?
You can't cure HIV. But there's a lot you can do to protect yourself from getting it in the first place. If you think you may have HIV or are at risk, get tested to find out. Taking medicines early can help limit damage to your immune system to keep you healthy. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) also can keep the virus at an undetectable level so that you can avoid passing the virus on to anyone else.
Does Medicare Cover HIV Treatment?
Medicare covers HIV screening, diagnosis, and treatment. The primary treatment options help prevent illness and death from HIV and reduces its transmission.
A person who receives HIV treatment has out-of-pocket costs, such as copayments and deductibles.
This article provides an overview of Medicare's HIV benefits and describes the specific coverage and costs of each program.
Then, it offers a list of resources that help people pay Medicare costs. Lastly, it discusses HIV and its treatment.
Medicare coverage of HIV starts with screenings. It permits one screening per year if a person is between ages 15 to 65, or if an individual is outside of this range but has a higher risk of HIV.
Coverage also includes doctor visits and lab tests for diagnosis. Early diagnosis and treatment are important in lengthening life expectancy.
Once a person receives a diagnosis, Medicare covers all medically necessary treatment. Because a retrovirus causes HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the main treatment. Although ART does not cure the infection, it slows its progression and makes it manageable.
Medicares Part D coverage for prescription medication extends to any other drugs a doctor may prescribe for a person with HIV. These include those for pain or poor appetite.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people with HIV have an increased risk of mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. Medicare covers the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, too.
Each part of Medicare offers HIV coverage in specific areas.
Original MedicareOriginal Medicare comprises Part A, hospitalization insurance, and Part B, medical insurance.
Part AIf a person with HIV requires inpatient care, Part A covers:
When someone with HIV needs outpatient care, Part B covers:
Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is the alternative to original Medicare, and it provides the same parts A and B benefits for HIV care. Most plans also include prescription drug coverage, which includes ART medications.
Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage plan that tailors benefits for people with certain chronic health conditions, such as HIV.
SNPs customize drug formularies and provider choices to meet the needs of those with the infection.
Part DMedicare Part D is prescription drug coverage, which is available to a person with original Medicare. Formularies in Part D plans include ART drugs.
Someone with a Medicare Advantage plan may not enroll in a Part D plan, but the plans often include prescription drug benefits.
MedigapMedigap plans are Medicare supplement insurance in which a person with original Medicare may enroll.
The plans may provide 50 to 100% of parts A and B costs, including those related to HIV diagnosis and treatment.
Below are the out-of-pocket Medicare costs that a person with HIV can expect in 2024.
Part AThe Part A monthly premium is free for most people.
Other costs include:
Part B costs include:
Screening involves no cost if someone meets the eligibility requirements.
Medicare AdvantageCosts of Medicare Advantage plans include deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and monthly premiums.
The costs vary among the types of plans and the companies that offer them.
Part DAs with Medicare Advantage plans, Part D costs include deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and monthly premiums.
The costs differ with the plan and the tier in which a drug falls within a formulary.
MedigapThe only Medigap plan costs are the monthly premiums.
People living with HIV who have a low income may be eligible for the below programs that help pay healthcare costs.
HIV is a retrovirus destroys immune cells, which weakens the immune system that helps fight infections and certain diseases.
Stage 1After people contract HIV, they may experience flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks. This is called stage 1, or the acute stage, a time in which the infection is very contagious.
The symptoms last a few days to a few weeks and include:
Stage 2Following the acute stage, a person with HIV enters stage 2, or the chronic stage.
During this time, someone may not have any symptoms. The rate at which this stage progresses varies, but the period may last 10 years or longer if an individual does not take HIV treatment.
Stage 3Without treatment, a person with HIV may develop AIDS, which is stage 3 HIV.
People living with stage 3 HIV, or AIDS, have severe immune system damage and may develop opportunistic infections.
Without HIV treatment or antiretroviral therapy, the survival rate is typically 3 years. However, with current treatment options, stage 3 rarely develops.
Doctors recommend that every person with HIV start treatment, ART, as soon as possible after diagnosis.
The goal of ART is to reduce levels of the virus in the blood and bodily fluids to an undetectable level. This enables the immune system to produce more cells that fight infections.
Treatment can keep someone healthy for many years. It can also lower the risk of transmission to others.
Usually, ART is a combination of 3 to 4 medications, but can sometimes contain 2 medications. There are eight classes of ART that attack the infection in different ways. The same treatment does not affect every person with HIV in the same way, so if a combination is not working well, a doctor will change it.
The ART drugs may produce side effects, such as:
Medicare covers all medically necessary treatment for a person with HIV. The main treatment and standard of care for HIV is ART.
These medications decrease the amount of HIV in the blood and can subsequently lead to an undetectable HIV level. This can help the immune system to work better. ART treatment helps people living with HIV to live a healthy life.
A Medicare beneficiary needs to have prescription drug coverage for ART.
A person with original Medicare may receive the treatment with a Part D plan, while someone with a Medicare Advantage plan may receive this coverage with a type of plan that includes drug benefits.
The information on this website may assist you in making personal decisions about insurance, but it is not intended to provide advice regarding the purchase or use of any insurance or insurance products. Healthline Media does not transact the business of insurance in any manner and is not licensed as an insurance company or producer in any U.S. Jurisdiction. Healthline Media does not recommend or endorse any third parties that may transact the business of insurance.
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