Hello,
Thank you for your post and welcome to our forum. Also apologies for this delayed reply. Here are your answers as follows:
1) What are the chances of this being HIV? I never had fever for last 6weeks.
HIGHLY UNLIKELY. IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT YOU WERE AT RIKS IN THE FIRST PLACE ANYWAY, AND THESE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT TYPICAL OF HIV SERO-CONVERSION.
2) Is combo testing reliable test given that it can sometimes skip low levels of P24? THE P24 ANTIGEN IS ALREADY DETECTABLE AFTER 14 DAYS. THEREFORE A NEGATIVE TEST AT 17 DAYS IS A GOOD SIGN; EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT FULLY CONCLUSIVE.
3)I tested at Indian lab which may have their own indegenously developed test. Do you think it would be at par with western standards?
I WOULD IMAGINE SO. THE TEST MENTIONED IS A VERY GOOD TEST.
4)I tested Combo again at 26 & 35 days as non-reactive. Do you think I need more test? CC agent at that lab said that the window period for Combo is 3-6 months which makes no sense to me as it defeats the very purpose of Combo test i.e. shorter window period to be conclusive i.e. 28 days YOUR NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS ARE FINAL AND FULLY CONCLUSIVE. THEREFORE WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN INFECTED AND YOU DO NOT NEED ANY FURTHER TESTS.
5) I also tested HBV non reactive 17&35 days and HCV non reactive 17 days. Could this be HAV? Can it cause liver, lymph nodes pain and red spots (on my right hand)? My most/all symptoms are on right side. or could it symply be an allergy? I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOUR SYMPTOMS ARE RELATED TO; YOU NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR ABOUT IT. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHAT HEPATITIS TESTS YOU HAD CARRIED OUT, AND THESE MIGHT NOT BE CONCLUSIVE AT THOSE TIMES. HOWEVER YOUR SYMPTOMS DO NOT SEEM TO BE RELATED WITH ANY TYPE OF VIRAL HEPATITIS.
Best wishes,
Dr José
It appears to me that you guys come after a gap few days.
A few things I have observed in the meanwhile....The red spots are now appearing on the right arm also. They come for3-4 days and disappear and then find a new spot. These are painless.
To my research..Dr. Lal Pathlabs in India may be using Abbott Architect CMIA assays.
Its accreditations -
Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA - Certification for Mycobacterium, HIV & VDRL
oops! I mean they are appearing on the left arm also.
Thanks a lot Doctor!
Just one more question...Would you consider my combo test at 35 days Fully Conclusive with reference to HIV-2 also?
Kind Regards