Indore: Over 100 samples collected for HIV testing

Samples of over 100 black fungus patients admitted to the hospital were collected for HIV testing after detection of lower levels of Cd4 cells in them.

The samples for HIV tests were collected as part of the study to decode relationship between level of Cd4 cells and fungus infection.

Dr VP Pandey, HoD medicine department said, “We have been collecting samples of black fungus patients for HIV testing as part of our study. Over 100 samples have been collected so far.”

Cd4 is known as Lymphoteric differentiation test. It is performed because the patients infected with black fungus have lower immunity. The immunity alteration was added as part of the study to decode the relation between level of these cells and fungus infection, if any, said Dr Pandey.

Around five days back samples of two patients were collected for HIV, whose reports were found to be negative. When Dr Pandey was asked about reports of these patients he said, “Not all reports are available with us but till now nobody has tested positive for HIV.”

We will analyse the reports of all the patients together to get any trends and the study report will be available by the end of next week, added Dr Pandey.

Earlier, the study group also came across eight such patients, who were not tested positive for Covid-19 but got infected with black fungus. The doctors performed antibody tests on them and found around five of them as positive for antibodies proving infection of pandemic virus in the past in them.