> It takes a long time for the body to produce the antibodies after infection. This test is only 90% sensitive after 12 weeks
That's not much of a problem except for people worried about infection after a single known exposure (e.g. needlestick in a medical setting).
About a third of patients spontaneously clear the acute infection within six months. On top of that, some countries (such as Germany) refuse to treat acute infections with antivirals - so patients have to wait 6 months for the infection to develop into a chronic infection before they can take the medicine which cures it.
> It certainly is a problem if they can infect others during that interval.
Tell that to Europe! The NHS, as well as private insurers in Germany and the Netherlands, refuse to treat patients until they've been infected for at least six months. In the US, insurers don't make this distinction.
That's not much of a problem except for people worried about infection after a single known exposure (e.g. needlestick in a medical setting).
About a third of patients spontaneously clear the acute infection within six months. On top of that, some countries (such as Germany) refuse to treat acute infections with antivirals - so patients have to wait 6 months for the infection to develop into a chronic infection before they can take the medicine which cures it.