World AIDS Day 2024: Early Signs And Symptoms Of AIDS You Must Know

World AIDS Day is an annual event that occurs on December 1, every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that World AIDS Day 2024 will be observed under the theme, “Take the rights path: My health, my right!”.

What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV stand for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, it is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome occurs at the most final stage of HIV infection. The first two stages of HIV are Acute HIV infection and Chronic HIV infection.

This World AIDS Day 2024, let us all educate ourselves about the early signs and symptoms of AIDS to protect and prevent the chronic condition. As per the Mayo Clinic - a non-profit medical group, when the virus of HIV enters a person’s body, they’re likely to experience a flu-like illness under 2 to 4 weeks.

Early signs and symptoms of AIDS you must know

Here's a complete breakdown of early signs and symptoms of AIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights. It states the initial stage when a person experiences influenza-like illness the symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Rash
• Sore throat.

Because the infection gradually weakens the immune system, it causes other signs and symptoms such as:

• Swollen lymph nodes
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Cough.

As per WHO, ignoring the early signs and symptoms of AIDS without treatment can also develop severe illnesses that include:

• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Cryptococcal meningitis
• Severe bacterial infections
• Cancers such as lymphomas and Kaposi's sarcoma
• HIV can also cause other infections such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B and Mpox to get worse.