Compared with the new coronavirus, to prevent AIDS, can people infected with HIV be isolated?

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the country has taken timely measures to isolate and treat COVID-19 infected people, and to isolate and observe the contacts (close contacts) of infected people and the contacts (secondary close contacts) of the contacts of infected people, which has enabled our country to quickly control the COVID-19 epidemic. Although local outbreaks occasionally occur in China, the epidemic quickly subsided due to the effective implementation of isolation measures.

my country discovered its first imported AIDS case in Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 1985. By the end of 2020, there were about 1.03 million registered HIV-infected people in the country, with a cumulative death toll of about 310,000. Compared with COVID-19, can we isolate HIV-infected people to control the development of AIDS?

I personally believe that it is impossible to prevent and control AIDS through isolation like COVID-19. This is unrealistic and not feasible either in theory or in practice. There are four reasons for this.

One of the reasons - the spread of AIDS requires close contact.

There are three ways of HIV transmission: sexual transmission, mother-to-child transmission, and blood transmission. All three transmission routes require contact with HIV-infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions, amniotic fluid, or breast milk, and these body fluids must enter the body of an uninfected person to cause infection. If the skin is intact, even if it comes into contact with the above body fluids, it will not cause infection. Generally speaking, it is difficult to come into contact with the above body fluids in daily life. Body fluids that can be contacted in daily life, such as saliva, tears, sweat, and urine, do not contain HIV and will not cause infection. All daily contact such as handshakes, hugs, courtesy kisses, and dining together will not spread HIV.

The COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets, with an effective transmission distance of about 1 meter. Studying, living, working, etc. in the same closed space may cause infection. In an open space, close contact with a COVID-19 infected person without wearing a mask correctly may also cause infection, so isolation is necessary.

Reason two: The incubation period of AIDS is very long.

Without treatment, the average incubation period of AIDS is 2-10 years, with the shortest being half a year and the longest being 25 years. If HIV-infected people are effectively treated, they can remain free from the disease for life. How can they be isolated? Should they be isolated for life? Restricting their freedom? Like the leprosy villages of the past? This is extremely inhumane!

The average incubation period of COVID-19 is 3.9 days, and in some cases it can be as long as 14 days or even longer. Therefore, we can temporarily isolate people who may have been infected with the novel coronavirus. During the isolation period, if they are infected with the novel coronavirus, they will almost certainly develop the disease and can receive effective treatment. At the end of the isolation period, if they are not infected, the isolation can be lifted.

Reason three: AIDS cannot be completely cured.

Although AIDS has been discovered for 40 years, and scientists have done a lot of research and efforts, there is still no drug or method that can completely cure AIDS, nor is there an effective vaccine to prevent AIDS. The body cannot naturally eliminate the HIV virus in the body to achieve self-healing. HIV-infected people need to take medication for life to inhibit the proliferation of the virus. If HIV-infected people are isolated for treatment, it will basically be a lifetime!

COVID-19 can be cured (strictly speaking, it is self-healing, not curing). By promoting the body's immune function through drugs, immune cells can completely eliminate the new coronavirus in the body to achieve self-healing (curing). The median course of COVID-19 is 22.4 days. It is technically and practically feasible to isolate and treat COVID-19 patients.

Reason four: The infectiousness of AIDS can be greatly reduced after treatment.

Although AIDS cannot be completely cured at present and infected people need to take lifelong medication, through treatment, when the HIV load in the body is lower than the detectable level, its infectiousness can be greatly reduced, and even unprotected sex with an infected person will not cause infection, which is the famous "U=U".

Although AIDS is terrible, it can be prevented. When having sex with others, use condoms correctly every time, throughout the whole process, and do not take drugs in any way, and do not get tattoos in places that are not strictly disinfected. Women infected with HIV should actively seek treatment, and through treatment, they can give birth to a healthy child.

I hope everyone will pay attention to AIDS and prevent AIDS; I also hope everyone will pay attention to the prevention of new coronavirus pneumonia, avoid crowding, wash hands frequently, and wear masks!

If you have any questions about AIDS, you can follow me and send me a private message for consultation.