What are the four stages of HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) renders the immune system weak and causes AIDS. HIV progresses through four stages, but the pace at which it progresses varies according to factors like the patient's general health, lifestyle, and diet. Though it is said that HIV targets the immune system, it is the CD4 cells that are the primary targets of HIV. A healthy body will have CD4 levels between 500 and 1600 cells for every microliter of blood. Patients with HIV see a drop in the levels of CD4 in their blood. Stage 1: Infection In this stage, the replication of the virus takes place at a fast pace. Patients may exhibit flu-like symptoms like headache, fever, sore throat, rash skin, among others, within weeks, if not days. The immune system develops antibodies for the flu during this period, which is also known as 'sero-conversion.' People who suspect they have HIV should get themselves immediately tested. This is because high HIV and body fluid levels in this stage wou