How can u say that? The Docs made them take the test tho. They wouldn't do that for no reason. The point is, it seems like HIV can live outside of its host. Am I wrong?
There is no proof that anyone has contracted HIV from those exposures. PERIOD.
Sorry about that, forgot to add the rest of the story
apparently a few people were infected with HIV. Looks like 1 guy had a false positive, but shouldn't HIV have died once air hit the tools being used?
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More facts are little comfort, though, to those who are already infected _ and those that don't know.
A 60-year-old Navy veteran who had a colonoscopy at a VA hospital last year got an unimaginable phone call recently _ a blood test showed he had HIV. A second test by the VA was negative, and now, the Tennessee man doesn't know what to think.
"I screamed out loud, `No' and went over and held my wife and told her what happened," said the veteran, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because he was afraid of repercussions against himself and his employer. "We had a nice, good cry. The things that go through your mind. You think your whole world is going to end. Her world could end, too."
It was not clear whether the Tennessee man was counted as a positive HIV test by the VA.
The VA said the problems with the endoscopic equipment had gone on for years, but were discovered in December when it learned the Murfreesboro facility wasn't following cleaning procedures the manufacturer recommended. It issued an internal alert for hospitals to check their procedures, and the problem at Augusta was discovered in January.
On Feb. 9, the VA announced a nationwide safety check of endoscopic equipment used in colonoscopies and ear, nose and throat treatments. The procedure involves a narrow, flexible tube fitted with a fiber-optic device such as a telescope or magnifying lens that is inserted into the body.
Some veterans were warned in February to get tested, and more were alerted in March when the Miami hospital backtracked on its previous conclusion that it didn't have a problem.
The day after the first HIV infection became public April 6, the VA announced that its top medical official, Dr. Michael Kussman, was retiring. Kussman still works at the VA but could not be reached for comment. VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts said there was "no connection whatsoever."
The endoscopic equipment is made by Center Valley, Pa.-based Olympus American Inc., and the company has said its recommended cleaning procedures are clear.
The VA and its inspector general have started investigations, and congressional members of the Veterans Affairs Committee have asked for a hearing in late May to discuss how the VA has been handling the problem.
U.S. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind. and ranking member of the committee, said in a statement he and his staff have been briefed weekly by senior VA officials. His office declined to release more information.
Private hospitals have also spread infectious diseases with unsterile equipment, but requirements to report such problems vary by state and there's no national regulation requiring disclosure, according to Barbara Rudolph, director of The Leapfrog Group, which advocates for quality health care.
The VA is providing a hot line for veterans and their families and posts the information it is releasing on its Web site. Because the VA hasn't ruled out other hospitals having had problems, some veterans are wondering if its more widespread.
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, former Marine Allen Lusk had several colonoscopies at the VA hospital in Iowa City and tested positive for hepatitis B in December.
"I never had it till I started going to the VA," said Lusk, 51.
He started using the VA in 2006 after he was injured when a car fell on him and he didn't have health insurance. After seeing news reports about the contaminated equipment problems elsewhere, Lusk went to his county health department for an HIV test. He tested negative.
"To be honest, I'd like to see them come out and be honest about how big this really is," he said. "It might be embarrassing, but in the long run it might be better for them."
Big difference between HIV and Hepatitis.