I might be mistaken, but I believe (at least if I recall correctly) that the HIV virus is pretty delicate and dies within a few moments of being exposed to open air.
A lot more people would be on HIV medication and, yeah, maybe it would make HIV/AIDS research a higher priority. It would also cause a panic, but since HIV is no longer the death sentence it once was, I think “die” is a highly dramatic/inaccurate answer.
@Darth_Algar This is a “what if” question. He’s not suggesting that it would actually happen.
Based on the public reaction to SARS, swine flu, Ebola, and other highly contagious epidemics in recent years, probably freak the f**k out, then hide in a cupboard waiting for other people to fix it.