HIV infection risks

How likely is it for someone—in this case, a friend of mine—to contract HIV after just two drops landed on her face before she washed it off immediately? She works in a clinical lab setting.

I’m looking for some realistic perspectives here. Just how much exposure is actually required for an infection to occur?

Thanks so much for any insight you can share!

Jeremy Sanders12 said:What are the actual odds of someone (in this case, a friend) catching HIV just because two drops splashed onto her face and she washed it off immediately?? (she works in a lab).

I need some real answers here. Like, how much exposure does it actually take to get infected?

Thanks for the help!

The risk from sexual contact is roughly 0.2-0.3%. Getting poked by an infected needle is about 0.5%. Use those numbers and decide for yourself what her chances look like. Personally, I've never heard of anyone getting infected that way.

I actually wasn't aware of that—what’s the real story there? Do you have a source? I really appreciate the response, but honestly, it just doesn't seem quite right; if transmission were truly that easy, wouldn't we be seeing a massive spike in AIDS cases by now? Poor thing is just inconsolable right now—she can barely pull herself together—but she's planning to go get tested once she finds the strength to face it...

It’s just not feasible for someone to have contracted HIV, considering there are really only three ways a person can be infected, if you think about it.

Sexual contact
Blood transfusions
Pregnancy, passing from mother to child

Jeremy Sanders12 said:Wait, I had no idea. Is that actually true? Where’d you hear that? Thanks for the reply, seriously, but I’m just not buying it. If it were that easy to catch, we’d be seeing way more people living with it. Poor girl is a total wreck right now, can't even pull herself together, but she says she’ll go get tested once she finds the strength...

Here’s the thing: over time, the HIV virus basically loses its edge. The more it spreads from person to person, the lower the odds become that the next person actually catches it. We might be looking at a scenario where in maybe 50, 100, or even 150 years, the virus won't even be able to transmit anymore. That would pretty much shut the whole thing down.

Quick correction on the odds of catching it through a needle stick from an infected syringe—I just pulled out an infectious disease textbook by John Doe and it says the risk for healthcare workers after a contaminated needle prick is roughly 0.3%

stormyheron4 said:The silver lining here might be that the HIV virus eventually loses its virulence—basically, the more it spreads from person to person, the lower the chance becomes for the next individual to actually catch it. Perhaps in 50, 100, or even 150 years, the virus simply won't be able to transmit anymore, effectively shutting itself down.

The only issue is that by then, the death toll will have been XXX times higher than what we see today—though, who knows? Maybe a vaccine gets invented tomorrow. You can never really say for sure.🙂

stormyheron4 said:To correct my previous point regarding the transmission risk from a needle stick: I just pulled out an infectious disease textbook by John Doe, and according to his research, the risk of infection for healthcare workers after being stuck with a contaminated needle is roughly around 0.3%.

And looking at it from another angle—say, if she had a little blemish or a pimple on her face and a drop landed right on it. She mentioned there were maybe two tiny droplets that splashed her face after a small capillary burst—I can't recall the technical term—but she was smart enough to wash her entire face immediately.

Jeremy Sanders12 said:Look at it this way. Say she had some tiny acne spots on her face and a little bit of blood actually landed on one. She said a couple of drops hit a broken capillary—whatever the medical term for that is—and sprayed a bit on her skin. It was only like two drops, but she was smart and washed her whole face off immediately.

There is zero chance she caught anything that way. Think about it. Even if you get stuck by an infected needle and shove the virus directly into your bloodstream, the infection risk is only about 0.3%. So how on earth could she get infected just from blood hitting her skin, even with a pimple? Honestly, I think she’s just catastrophizing. When people panic, they always jump to the absolute worst-case scenario.

You can bet money she didn't land that blood right on a fresh break in the skin. And even if she did, a capillary isn't just going to burst at that exact second. Most likely, the wound had already started contracting and clotting, which basically acts as a shield against the virus.

stormyheron4 said:There’s really no scientific theory supporting transmission that way—I mean, even with a direct needle stick from an infected source straight into the bloodstream, the risk is only about 0.3%. So, how could someone catch it just because blood touched their skin, even if there were some minor abrasions? As for her worrying that a drop hit an open capillary—honestly, I think she's just letting anxiety run wild. When people are scared, they tend to jump to the absolute worst-case scenario.

You could practically bet money that the blood didn't land perfectly on an open capillary. And even if it did, it's unlikely a capillary would have been open at that exact micro-second; usually, a wound starts contracting and clotting almost immediately, which acts as its own little shield against any viral entry.

Thanks for such a clear and helpful answer.

Jeremy Sanders12 said:Thanks for being so specific with the answer.

Look, I totally get it. She’s terrified for her life. When you're in that headspace, your mind immediately jumps to the absolute worst-case scenario. She just needs that 1000% guarantee that she'll be fine. Try explaining it to her gently. Don't let her project all those doubts onto you or make you feel like you're at risk too.

There are plenty of cases where one spouse enters a marriage with an infection while the other is completely healthy. Even after ten years of marriage, that second partner stays negative for HIV.

Jeremy Sanders12 said:What are the actual odds of someone—in this instance, a friend of mine—contracting HIV just because two drops splashed onto her face, provided she washed it off immediately? (She works in a laboratory setting).

I am looking for realistic answers here: what would it actually take for an infection to occur in a scenario like this?

Thanks for any insight!

No offense intended, but if she is working in a lab handling nothing other than blood samples, she really ought to be aware that the probability of such an infection occurring through skin contact is virtually non-existent.
If HCV, HBV, or HIV were transmitted through mere surface splashes, we would certainly have a much larger crisis on our hands; however, since thank God they aren't spread that way, there is absolutely no reason for concern...👍

Jeremy Sanders12 said:What are the actual odds of someone (in this case, a friend) catching HIV just because two drops splashed onto her face—and she washed it off immediately? (She works in a lab).

I need realistic answers here. How much exposure is actually required for infection to happen?

Thanks for the input!

Zero. She can relax. (Unless she had an open wound right where it hit, her immune system was compromised by some chronic illness or an organ transplant, and that drop came from someone who isn't just HIV positive but is in full-blown viremia—basically AIDS—then maybe you're looking at a 0.1% chance). 😁

I wanted to say thanks again to everyone for all the replies! You guys have been a huge help!

From what I understand, there are certain treatments you can get right away if you suspect an exposure...

I think she should definitely check in with the CDC or her local health department to see what her options are. Though, honestly, if it's been more than a couple of days, the window might have already closed.

Anyone working in a lab setting really ought to be trained on how these things spread, what the actual risks are, and exactly what steps to take if an accident happens.

http://aids.about.com/od/hivprevention/a/exposure.htm

Hey, since I work in a lab, I figured you should definitely check this out and maybe do a little more digging on Google too...

I heard someone mention the other day that the bacteria behind tuberculosis can actually hang around outside a host for up to three months... so, given that, you might want to start rethinking what kind of illness you're actually dealing with here.

Jeremy Sanders12 said:What are the actual odds of someone (in this case, a female friend) contracting CDC through exposure if just two drops landed on her face and she washed it off immediately? (She works in a lab).

I’m looking for realistic answers here—how much exposure is actually required for infection to occur?

Thanks for the help!

I honestly can't believe someone working in a lab would even worry about getting infected that way.

Look, I’m no virology expert, but I know enough to say the chance of catching CDC from a couple of blood droplets hitting intact skin is practically zero.

Hopefully, these answers help calm her nerves a bit.