Question
What does a CD4 count of 0 mean?
6 November 2008. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
What does it mean if your CD4 count is 0 and viral load is in the millions?
Answer
This means that the immune system has been severely damages and you have a very high risk from many infections that can be fatal.
HIV medications need to be started immediately and can still be very successful at taking you out of this high risk situation.
About 25% of people who start HIV treatment with a very low CD4 count (under 50 cells/mm3) can get a flare of a previously undiagnosed infection. This is called Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (or IRIS) and these symptoms are usually easy to treat.
If viral load is ‘in the millions’ this is very high and, when taken with a low CD4 count, also means you need to start treatment.
There is detailed information about CD4 and viral load here.
I very much hope that your question is hypothetical only.
Hi Suzan, as mentioned in more detail above a CD4 count of 0 means your immune system has been severely damaged by HIV and that you are at risk of multiple infections. Have you started treatment yet? and have you been given an antibiotic called co-trimoxazole?
A viral load of 38 means that HIV is being suppressed. This suggests that you have started treatment? When suppressed HIV does not damage your immune system and your CD4 count will be able to start to recover.
What happened to your body if cd4 count is 0 and viral load is 38
Hi Paula,
I am really sorry to hear this. I have to say though, that even with such a result your sister has a chance, should she decide to restart medications. Perhaps some hard convincing may work?
No, unfortunately it wasn’t a hypothetical question.
My sister has lived with HIV for 15+ years and at the start of 2008 she decided to stop taking her anti-virals & opted for a quality of life rather than quantity. She has been on almost every combination but the drugs have taken their toll.
In a call today she told me about her CD4 count being 0 and her viral load ‘up millions’.
Thank you for your reply, I truly appreciate it
Paula