Well, here we are... Three decades after HIV and retroviruses, some researchers felt the need to state that XMRV was a 'simple' virus. Retroviruses mutate, mutate very quickly, and so most likely XMRV does. I think we can leave out 'healing', that's out of the question - certainly if we look at the HIV pandemic. Yes, people do not die, but are forced to take their meds, every day until they die(because of the meds).
OS(very cynical).
Not so very cynical, OS. Yes, AIDS patients require meds, very expensive meds. Combine today's recession with sky-rocketing health costs, medicare cuts, the price of insurance premiums, powerful insurance lobbyists, boomers who are going to hit medicare like no other generation before, and ask yourself are we in any better position today for another AIDS epidemic? Call me cynical, but I think it's going to be a long time before help comes our way -- insurance paid help. Best bet, get in a drug trial.