Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
Hello everybody,
I'm on week 10, I've done a quantitative test on week 4 and was undetectable (detection level: 25 IU/ML)
My next test will be on week 12 and I was thinking that it should be qualitative because it's more accurate.
My Question is: What's the accuracy of this test?
I've read that it's 10 IU/ML, others say that it can detect a single copy of the virus.
The strangest thing I've read is that it's higher than 25 IU/ML which is the accuracy of my quantitative test!!
I'm on week 10, I've done a quantitative test on week 4 and was undetectable (detection level: 25 IU/ML)
My next test will be on week 12 and I was thinking that it should be qualitative because it's more accurate.
My Question is: What's the accuracy of this test?
I've read that it's 10 IU/ML, others say that it can detect a single copy of the virus.
The strangest thing I've read is that it's higher than 25 IU/ML which is the accuracy of my quantitative test!!
I spoke with my insurance company yesterday and they need to re-verify my meds for the next 12 weeks. They need an exact number if it does come back positive. So I called my doc and had him order the quantitative tests also. So if the qualitative comes back positive we need a number of virus. Because if its greater than 1000, then my treatment stops. If its negative and undetectable I continue with my 24 weeks of treatment, but if its positive and less than 1000 then I do 48 weeks of treatment. So the number is really important in determining your treatment length. I think my doc was just assuming that I would be undetectable and negative, since I have been undie since week 4. But just in case there is still a trace amount, we will need a quantitative result also. So i am having both done today.
But if the sensitivity is 10 IU/ML and I have 9 IU/ML it will say I'm negative even though I still have the virus.
That's why I wanted to know the real sensitivity, because I'm confused from all what I've read.
I wish your results come UND and you do only 24 weeks.
http://gautama.tripod.com/Hep-C/12.HTM