Counts from the PCR test are approximately twice that of the bDNA, but that has to do with the way they express results, not the total level of your virus. As with CD4 cell counts, you should have two viral load tests, spaced two to four weeks apart, if you've just been diagnosed. If you decide to start anti-HIV treatment, get a test right beforehand, another four weeks after starting the drugs, and then every one to three months, so you can monitor whether the drugs are working. We don't know how high a viral level can go. Over a million copies is not uncommon.
Some tests can detect a lower number of copies than others.
Typically, tests can detect down to either 400 or 50 copies, but some experimental tests can detect even fewer copies. If you change doctors, see if your new one can use the same lab as the old one did to help with continuity of results. Monitoring Your Symptoms Variations in CD4 counts and viral load are frequent, and it's the trends in them, rather than individual test results, that are most important. Also important, though, is keeping an eye on how you feel. Even if something's unrelated or seems small, get it treated, since you want to minimize any additional stress on your immune system.