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HIV/ARS symptoms.. really worried, please help

Hi, I would firstly like to say how helpful your website is, you guys do a great job.
In advance I would like to apologise if this question seems completely stupid or paranoid, I am just so worried, and this is the first time I have ever worried about a serious illness.
About 7 weeks ago I was cleaning a pair of trainers, and they had a couple of dry spots on them, which might have been blood but I'm not completely sure. Whatever it was, it was dried and had been there for some months. I wiped a standard household surface disinfectant wipe vigorously over the dried substance, but then foolishly scratched the spots off with my finger. I later noticed a very small cut on my cuticle which appeared to be scabbed over (not bleeding or obviously open). About a week later I got what I thought was a cold, not serious at all, very minor stuffy nose, which didnt really fully go away. About 2 weeks or so ago I checked the symptoms for HIV ARS and since then (I have been hoping my symptoms are down to anxiety) I have had a dry mouth, slightly congested mucusy throat (but no real pain in throat), occasional aching and tight neck and lower back, occasional aching muscles (not massively though)occasional hot spells (not sure if it was fever, lasted very briefly and no profuse night-sweating). I have also had a number of mouth ulcers. In the last couple of days I have started to notice a small number of pin *****-like blood dots on my right and left arms. I am so worried and have a couple of questions.
1.Do my symptoms sound like HIV or ARS, and do they fit the timeframe?
2.If substance on trainer was HIV infected blood, would the virus have died because it had dried (and had been dry for a number of months)?
3.Would the disinfectant have killed the virus if there was any present, or more worryingly, could it have reactivated the virus in some way?


I hope so much you are able to answer. Thank you so much.
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Avatar universal
The answers to your 3 questions are 1) No, 2) No, and 3) Yes but it doesn't matter. You cannot catch HIV by the non-exposure event you describe.  Your symptoms are not at all suggestive of HIV.  See a health care provider, however, if you remain concerned.

Good luck--  HHH, MD
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Avatar universal
Sorry Dr.,
Just unclear about your answers to 2. and 3. For 2. you say no, meaning that any possible HIV virus would not be dead because it had been dried out for months. I thought it died once dried? And for 3. you answer yes. Is this yes to the disinfectant killing the virus or yes to it possibly remoistening and reactivating it?
Thank you doctor, I will not be posting any more after this, just wanted you to clear up these 2 issues. Thank you so much.
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Avatar universal
The additional information does not change my opinion or advice.  hellothere123 is corret.  No "yes but" or "what if" follow-up questions, please.  There simply is no HIV risk here.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
OK, I give up.  What did you misunderstand about "No 'yes but' or 'what if' follow-up questions, please. There simply is no HIV risk here."???

If the substance was blood, if the person who bled had HIV, and if you had sucked on the stain, you wouldn't have been infected.

This thread is over.

HHH, MD
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Avatar universal
Sorry again Dr., I'm new to this and with my nerves forgot to also mention that occasionally I have been getting slight diarrhea, not excessive, persistent or uncontrollable, and tends to be when i worry about my health.
Thank you Dr., I really hope I havent jeopardised the chance of you answering because I forgot a couple of things.
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Avatar universal
Sorry Dr., I forgot to mention that the disinfectant wipe moistened the substance, and also that my throat has been dry as well as feeling slightly congested and tight.
Thank you so much Dr. HHH, and I apologise again if I am wasting your time.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I usually don't respond to people on this forum, but yours is so easy that I just will.  If the Doctor responds, he will tell you that this is why you don't have HIV:

- you don't even know if what you saw was blood
- even if it was blood, it was probably your blood
- even if it wasnt your blood, the chances are still extremely low that it was HIV infected blood
- even if it was HIV infected blood, the virus still would have been long, long dead. a dried HIV virus cannot survive for more than a few minutes.  in a few months, it would have been deader than dead. and when a virus is dead, its dead. kind of like with people. you cannot bring a virus back to life any more than u can bring a person back to life.
- even if it wasnt dead (it was DEFINITELY dead) HIV cannot penetrate through a small cut in the finger.  it can only penetrate a fresh, bleeding wound.
- given that you could not have possibly contracted HIV, any symptoms you have are obviously meaningless, but none of your symptoms sound at all like ARS anyway. all of your symptoms sound exactly like anxiety.

please dont waste any more time worrying about this. there is no chance in hell you got HIV from the exposure you describe.  absolutely none.  so go and enjoy your life - good luck!
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