Do you know the difference between HCV and anti HCV? Do you know the signs and symptoms of Hepatitis C? If not, then it’s essential to learn because this deadly disease can lead to severe long-term health consequences if left untreated. Read on to find out more about what Hepatitis C is, what causes it, and how to protect yourself from getting this deadly virus if you are at risk?
What is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)?
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a type of liver infection caused by a highly infectious virus that damages your liver over time. Hepatitis C is usually transmitted through blood-to-blood contacts, such as sharing needles or receiving transfusions with infected blood, which can cause long-term liver damage.
While chronic hepatitis C can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, some people have no symptoms until they develop end-stage cirrhosis, meaning irreversible damage has already occurred to their livers.
According to recent Chughtai lab Lahore estimates, roughly 130 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C (70 million in China alone), making it one of the most common causes of death worldwide due to chronic illness.
What is Anti-HCV?
This test determines whether a person has ever been infected with the Hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
When to Test for Hepatitis C
Chughtai Lab can help by offering a lab test in Lahore or booking an online lab test. Both are easy ways to get your blood tested for hepatitis C (HCV). As Chughtai Lab puts it, [Our services] include Hepatitis C testing (for both genotype 1 & 2), HIV, HBsAg [and] Pregnancy tests as well. A typical lab test cost starts from 400, but they also provide special offers like 20%.
How accurate are hepatitis tests?
Hepatitis tests measure antibodies to hepatitis C, a widespread virus with four different genotypes. The virus is easily spread from person to person, but most infected people don’t show any symptoms for decades.
Hepatitis isn’t even part of routine screening for many diseases in Pakistan. Because it’s so common, many people can have it without realizing it until they undergo a test that reveals their status as an HBsAg or anti-HCV+ individual.
The Excel Lab report can help screen for hepatitis using different techniques; visit us online if you’d like more information about lab testing and what we do at Excel Lab Report.
What is a false positive result?
Before getting tested for hepatitis C, it’s essential to understand a false-positive result. Even though a negative test may be good news, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there is no HCV present in your system.
Certain non-HCV infections or activities can cause positive results, so it’s always best to consult your physician if you think you might have been exposed to or infected with HCV. A false-positive result can also happen when people take certain drugs like marijuana or heroin these are known as false positives.
In some cases, doctors will then recommend more specific testing, such as a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) test, to rule out false positives.
Can I have both Hepatitis C & Anti-HCV at the same time?
Hepatitis C is a disease that a blood test can detect. To determine if someone has Hepatitis C, their blood is tested for Hepatitis C antibodies, also known as anti-HCV (anti-hepatitis C virus).
If a person tests positive for both Anti-HCV & Hepatitis C simultaneously, they may have chronic active hepatitis. It is possible to get tested for Hepatitis C by Lab Test Online in Pakistan.
