The earliest detectable antibody concentrations appear between 4 and 6 weeks after exposure. However it is possible to detect viral replication between 3 and 5 days post-infection, where infected cells begin to appear in the blood stream from the lymphatic system.
Patients usually seek and receive treatment for mononucleosis-like symptoms.
From that time the viral replication proceeds at an exponential rate, increasing in number by 10 billion copies per day. Research has shown that the higher viral titer corresponds proportionately with immune system depletion. Viral diversity increases in a single host as the mutation rate increases with the viral titer. Thwarting efforts to rid the person of the virus, as mutations enable the virus to develop resistance to the treatment. Higher viral titers also correlate with increased treatment cost.