Question
What do my viral load test results mean?
5 January 2016. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load.
Please can you explain how viral load results mean?
I got my results back and I don’t understand them. It says log units is 2.777 and my RNA copies is 599 cp/mL.
Is this low or high? My CD4 count is 697.
Answer
Hi
Thanks for your question – and it is good that you want to understand your test results.
Sometimes this can be dfficult if your doctor has not explained them clearly. It is also okay to ask your doctor or nurse to explain anything that you are not sure of.
Viral loads tests tells you how much virus is in a millilitre of blood (or another body fluid being measured).
When not on treatment, viral load can range from undetectable to several millions. For anyone on HIV treatment (ART), viral load should ideally get to undetectable, This is defined as being less than 50 copies/mL.
Your test results are the 599 copies/mL, so your viral load is still detectable at 599.
The ‘2.777 log units’ from your test results is a slightly complicated way of saying exactly the same thing as ‘599 copies/mL’.
Because viral loads have such a huge range of numbers they are sometimes expressed in ‘log units’ to make it easier to write them on graphs and diagrams. Doctors and scientists use log scales to look at changes to viral loads over time. See this table of log units compared to viral loads in copies/mL.
Whether this is considered high or low depends on whether or not you are on treatment.
- If you’re not on treatment yet this is a relatively low viral load, which is a good thing.
- If you are on treatment, then if you only recently started ART, your viral load might still be going down.
- If you have been on treatment for more than six month, please talk to your doctor about why the results in not undetectable.
For more information about viral loads and how they relate to both treatment and infectiousness you can also have a look at the following links:
Viral Load and Treatment
Viral Load and Infectiousness
If you tell me if you are currently on treatment or not I can provide more individual information, Also, if you are on treatment, when did you start?
This answer was updated in January 2016 from a question first posted on 5 April 2012.
Hi Sifiso,
I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis.
But it’s good that you’ve started HIV treatment (ART). Taking ART is the best way to look after your health.
Please see this guide to starting ART.
If you live in South Africa the Treatment Action Campaign can be contacted here. They might be able to help with local support and information.
Hi I’m sifiso 3 months back i tested for HIV and ifound out I,’m positive after i went lib for blood tests and I got my ARVs until now i take my treatments well. So my problem that didn’t tell how is my Cd4 count they didn’t explain anything for me they only gave a treatment.
Hi Promise,
These look like good results, your HIV meds must be working well.
A CD4 count of 707 cells/μL means 707 cells per microlitre. It’s the same as 707 cells/mm3, it’s just written differently. This is within the range of normal for a person who is HIV negative.
A viral load of 45 copies/mL means HIV is undetectable because it’s less than 50 copies/mL. Log conversion is a way of looking at viral load results because the result can be a very big number or a very small number. So with log conversion it’s easier to plot a chart of how your result changes.
But log conversion of 45 equals 1.65 in the log tables, so it’s the same number.
Hello am promise i want to understand about this viral load.absolute cd4 707 cell/ul. 332_1642
Hiv viral load 45copies/ml
Log conversion 1.65log(copies/ml)
Input volume. 0.500ml
M
Hi Rosie,
A viral load of less than 34 copies means that it’s undetectable. So it looks like your HIV meds are working well.
But what does the doctor say about the drop in your CD4 count? CD4 counts can go up and down of course, even during a single day.
The CD4:CD8 ratio is a measure of how balanced your immune function is. This calculated by dividing the CD4 result by the CD8 result.
In HIV negative people, the normal range for the CD4:CD8 ratio is between 0.9 and 1.9. This means that there are about 1 to 2 CD4 cells for every CD8 cell.
It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor these results.
Hi. My viral load in April 2019 was less 34 copies and my CD4 count was 260. My CD4/CD8 was 0.3. I had been on ART from October 2018 with CD4 at 602.. The doctor said I was doing good but gave me omega 3 as immune booster. What does this mean.
Hi Hatem,
It’s good that you’re going to start HIV treatment (ART). ART is the way to boost your immune system. Starting in 3 weeks sounds fine, especially if you’re feeling well and you don’t have infections.
ART starts to work very quickly. Your viral load can drop by 90% within the first few days, and by 99% within the first few weeks. Your CD4 count can start to recover once your viral load gets to low levels.
Please see this pic from ART in pictures.
Hello there,
I just got tested and I found that my CD4 count is 279 and viral load 76,000 copies.
I will start to take my medicine after 3 weeks due to some commitment outside my country.
From your experience can the CD4 count drop dramatically within one month or 6 weeks?
Thanks,
Hatem
Hi Nhlanhla,
Please can you give us more info? Do you have access to both CD4 count and viral load results.
Please also tell us what HIV meds your son is taking, and how old he is.
Hey its been 2 years my sons viral load is going up I’m scared to see to doctor last year it was 2000 but now its 700what must I do