What are the symptoms of HIV infection during the chronic phase?
The chronic phase can last anywhere from few months to fifteen years in persons who are not on anti-retroviral therapy. The duration of this phase depends on the severity of the infection, the type of infection (for example HIV-1 clade), the person’s immune response, their general health and access to health care. As the infection progresses, the person takes longer and longer to recover from diseases like influenza and diarrhea. For example, a common cold instead of clearing within a week persists for weeks and may progress to pnuemonia. Diarrhea may persist for months and not respond to first level medicines. Recurrences of herpes simplex, veracella, HPV may become more common and severe. In addition, many patients exhibit diseases like unexplained weight loss of more than few percent, persistent headaches and sores. • How long does it take for a person to become infected with HIV/AIDS? The infection begins as soon as the HIV virus enters the blood system of a human being and starts