The spectrum of HIV infection: what happens clinically

When a person contracts HIV, the initial acute infection is followed by a prolonged asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic period; lab values may be completely normal. By the time AIDS is diagnosed, the cell-mediated immune system is irreversibly damaged; virtually all patients die within 5 years. The pace of progression of HIV disease varies widely among patients and is therefore difficult to predict for any one individual.