"If confirmed by further analysis," the case of a Mississippi infant being cured of HIV "would be the first time a person has been cured with simple drug treatments, making a lifetime of antiviral therapy unnecessary," a New York Times editorial states. Born to an HIV-positive mother who did not receive HIV treatment during her pregnancy, the newborn was aggressively treated for HIV infection beginning 30 hours after birth, but the mother stopped treatment after 18 months, the editorial notes, adding, "The baby, now two and a half years old, has been free of the active virus ever since." The editorial adds, "Although very sophisticated tests can find traces of the virus, it is not able to replicate and spread. This is described as a 'functional cure.'"