please, please help!

[reallylostmyself]

Dear Doc,

First of all I would like to thank you for offering us such a forum that we can get our questions answered.

I had several protected vaginal sexes with CSW (they offered the condoms) on my trip in China, some were late last December and the other two were on 01/06/2008 (I am not sure if the condom was broken this time) and on 01/17/2008. On the 18th of January, I developed a cough (no any other symptoms) and recovered in approximately 2 weeks.

Starting from 02/23/2008 (the 37th day after last exposure), I started coughing with productive thick yellow snot, runny nose, sore throat. However there was no fever until yesterday (the 44th day after last exposure). My temperature went up yesterday, 99F, 100F, 101F, until at midnight 102.8F. I drank a lot of hot water to produce sweats that the temperature went down to 100.5F. My day time temperature now is 101.5F. Starting from yesterday, my muscle was painful. This symptom also passed to my wife and other people. Counting my wife’s exposure time, she has the symptom (identical to mine) was on her 51st day after her exposure with me.

I had two HIV tests so far. HIV quick test (my 25th day of my last exposure) was negative. HIV ½ stat/pak test at 30th day of my last exposure was negative.

Here are my questions:

1) Is the ARS symptom infection? In another word, is it possible for one with ARS symptom flu to pass to others (flu only)? I think that I had the other four infected with the symptoms as mine.

2) Considering my symptom with congestions chest, thick yellow snot, runny nose and high temperature, do you think if they are ARS symptoms?

3) How long does the symptom occur after exposure?

4) What is stat/pak versus generic HIV test?

Thank you!

[Uniquelymen]

Hi there,

Your symptoms are not ARS specific.

In the 1st place you do not have any risk of HIV infection, because it is protected sex.

[reallylostmyself]

Uniquelymen, please help.

Two days ago, I had fever almost 103F. I had antibiotic (roxithromycin) and tyleno last night. This morning the temperature was 98.5F. While I continued using my antibiotics, the temperture is back to 101F.

Why the fever temperature is so persistant? What is the ARS fever's characteristic? However I am sure that my symptoms (coughing and fever) are contagious....

[Uniquelymen]

Nope, ARS symptoms are not contagious.....

[reallylostmyself]

Hi, I really appreciate your comments and help. Do you know if the ARS symptom infection?

[Uniquelymen]

Hi there,

Let take it slow here..... protected sex remain as protected, NO risk of HIV infection.

Nope, your symptoms are not ARS specific.  "Runny" nose is not a known symptom for ARS.  And it does'nt "spread"......

The bottom  line is you are not at risk, since it's protected.