Resolved question:
My 22 year old daughter was just diagnosed with type 2 herpes. We are so scared . help
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Infectious Disease Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for your follow up.
To answer your first question, No the transmission of HIV because of reused alcholo swabs has never been documented because the practise of re-using cotton/alcohol swabs is NEVER normal. Still, if you have experienced this, the chances of HIV transmission is highly unlikely.
Secondly alcohol cannot kill the HIV virus, the only currenlty known chemical capable of doing it is glutaraldehyde. But considering that there must have been a time lag between the cotton being re-used, the HIV virus most probably died in the interim since this virus cannot survive for long periods outside the body.
Hope this helps,
Thank you very much. If there is time lag(10minutes) between cotton re used, the virus would be died or lose its ability? If little amount virus get into blood stream, is it Ok (our body could fight with little amount of virus?) Thank you.
Hello,
Yes the virus does not survive outisde human body for long, hence if there is a time lag the virus would die.
And even if little amount goes in the blood stream it can be dangerous, since they start multiplying right away.
Regards.