Labcorp Hepatitis C Viral Load

What Your Hepatitis C Virus Quantitative Real

When your results show a high viral load, this normally indicates that the infection level is higher. However, for hepatitis C, a high viral load is not related to how you feel and how damaged your liver is. This number is the perfect indicator of how well a treatment is being successful.

If your viral load is less than 615 international units per liter then, your system does not contain any detectable hepatitis C virus. This result could even indicate that the levels are too low to be detected.

If the viral load is higher than 800,000 international units per liter means that the viral count is still high and the treatment needs to be adjusted. If the levels are below that number this indicates a successful treatment. After a period of eight to twelve weeks, if the viral load became undetectable, this marks the end of the treatment. You will no longer need to be treated for hepatitis C but, still need to be tested after a while to check for a relapse.

Where Can I Find A Hepatitis C Antibody Test Near Me

Check our lab finder to locate a collection site in your area.

Note: Result turn around times are an estimate and are not guaranteed. Our reference lab may need additional time due to weather, holidays, confirmation/repeat testing, or equipment maintenance.

Detection Period:

For the majority of people, this test will have the highest accuracy at 12 weeks from an exposure or anytime after. Some people may be detectable as early as 4 weeks from exposure. In rare circumstances, it could take past 6 months to be detectible.

Requirements:

It is recommended that someone taking Biotin stop consumption at least 72 hours prior to the collection of a sample.

Description:

The Quantitative Hcv Rna Test Is Checked Before A Patient Starts Treatment

For each patient, the result can be described as either a “high” viral load, which is usually > 800,000 IU/L, or a “low” viral load, which is usually < 800,000 IU/L. It’s not uncommon to have a viral load in the millions. Today’s hepatitis C treatments are very effective with both high and low viral loads. An undetectable HCV viral load 10-12 weeks after hepatitis C is completed is associated with a cure.

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Can This Test Be Done At My Healthcare Practitioners Office

Maybe. There are rapid HCV antibody tests available that can be done at the point of care , in settings such as your healthcare practitioners office, community health clinics, and emergency rooms. They provide results in about 20 minutes. However, a positive result requires confirmation of active disease with an HCV RNA test, which is performed in a laboratory.

What Types Of Common Blood Tests Are Covered

Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans cover many types of screening and diagnostic blood tests. There may be limits on how frequently Medicare will cover certain tests.

You can appeal a coverage decision if you or your doctor believe a test should be covered. Certain screening blood tests, like those for heart disease, are fully covered with no coinsurance or deductibles.

Examples of covered blood tests

Here are some of the conditions that are commonly screened through blood tests and how often you can have them done with Medicare coverage:

• Diabetes: once a year, or up to twice per year if you are higher risk
• Heart disease: cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides screening once every 5 years
• HIV: once a year based on risk
• Hepatitis : once a year depending on risk
• Sexually transmitted diseases: once a year

If your doctor thinks you need more frequent testing for certain diagnostic tests due to your specific risk factors, you may have to pay for testing more often. Ask your doctor and the lab for more information about your specific test.

It might be helpful to have a supplemental plan for more frequent testing. You can go to the Medicare Medigap policy website for information on all the plans for 2021 and whats covered. You can also call the plan directly for more information.

Examples of covered tests include:

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What Is The Treatment For Hcv

There are several drugs that can be used to treat HCV infection. Most commonly, a combination of drugs is used, and new drugs are under development. Before 2000, chronic HCV was curable in only 10% of cases. Now, treatments for HCV can cure over 90% of people with hepatitis C before late complications occur, but even those with advanced liver disease often respond to treatment. This increases the opportunity to intervene early and prevent HCV-associated deaths.

• According to the CDC, recent treatment guidelines recommend monitoring people with acute HCV but only considering treatment if the infection persists longer than 6 months.
• Chronic HCV is usually treated with a combination of drugs.

How Is Hepatitis B Treated

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B infections. Symptoms are usually treated with supportive care. This usually involves making sure that you are getting plenty of rest and enough fluids and nutrition by eating and drinking small amounts several times a day.

Chronic forms of hepatitis B may be treated with antiviral medications such as interferon, entecavir, tenofovir, lamivudine, and adefovir. However, some antiviral drugs can have serious side effects and not all people need to be treated. Often, people with chronic hepatitis will be closely monitored to see if they develop cirrhosis or liver cancer. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider about your treatment options and the risks and benefits of those currently available.

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Genotypes: Predictors Of Success

Not everybody with hepatitis C necessarily goes directly to therapy, Nolte points out. This can be a sort of benign infection, and it could be 10 years before someone requires therapy. But if the physician makes the decision to treat a patient, both the viral load and genotype can predict response to therapy. For example, high viral load and genotype 1 are predictors of poor response.

Of the six HCV genotypes, types 1, 2, and 3 are most prevalent in the United States. Type 1 infections respond differently than types 2 or 3 to the current combination therapy of pegylated interferon, an immune modulator, and ribavirin, an antiviral agent. According to Shiffman, a 12-month course of therapy succeeds in about 45 percent of patients infected with type 1, the most difficult to eradicate. Types 2 and 3 are much more sensitive to therapy and can be eradicated in 70 to 90 percent of patients with 4 to 6 months of therapy.

The goal of hepatitis C therapy is to eradicate the virus so it can no longer be detected by a sensitive HCV RNA test. Sustained virologic response is achieved if the HCV becomes undetectable during therapy and remains undetectable six months after the end of therapy. But current treatment algorithms are being challenged as new data become available.

Hepatitis C Pcr Quantitative Blood Test

The Hepatitis C RNA PCR Quantitative test is used to look for infections with the Hepatitis C virus. This test looks for the genetic material of the virus. Because viral genetic material may be detectable earlier than antibodies that develop in response to an infection, PCR testing can be used to screen for recent exposure. Quantitative PCR testing, also known as viral load testing, is often ordered to monitor how effective a persons treatment is at controlling the virus. This test is also useful as a confirmation for people who have had a positive result from an HCV Abs test. Results for this test are quantitative, meaning they will provide a numerical result for the level of the virus in a persons body.Hepatitis C is a virus spread through contact with infected blood. Nearly 80% of Hepatitis C infections develop into chronic Hepatitis. The number of people worldwide with chronic Hepatitis C infections is around 150 million. Chronic Hepatitis C infections can lead to serious health complications such as Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer. Many HCV infections display no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, some of the most common include:

Fever Grey feces Jaundice

Someone who wishes to screen for Hepatitis C but is not concerned about a recent exposure may wish to order the Hepatitis C Antibodies test.Turnaround for the Hepatitis C RNA PCR Quantitative test is typically 5-7 business days.

Detection Period:

Requirements:

Description:

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Labcorp Announces Availability Of Newly Approved Viral Load Assay For Hepatitis C Virus

First Major Clinical Reference Laboratory to Offer the Roche COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0

—-Jun. 17, 2013– Laboratory Corporation of America ® Holdings today announced that it is offering the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0. With enhanced sensitivity, this quantitative viral load assay for Hepatitis C virus enables more accurate assessments of response to antiviral therapy.

As the first major clinical reference laboratory to offer the COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0, LabCorp can now provide physicians with a quantitative HCV viral load assay that has a lower limit of detection and quantification than existing qualitative HCV assays . Viral load determinations influence decisions related to many aspects of antiviral HCV therapy, including treatment selection and adjustments. Following treatment initiation, periodic measurements of HCV viral load allows the clinician to assess the success of treatment.

LabCorp is proud of its longstanding and prominent role of providing innovative and novel diagnostic tests to assist physicians in treating and managing chronic HCV infection, said Dr. Mark Brecher , LabCorps Chief Medical Officer. The COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HCV Test, v2.0 is another valuable addition to the Companys comprehensive portfolio of assays that characterize the Hepatitis C virus, disease course and the patients optimal treatment path.

About LabCorp®

Hepatitis C Viral Load / Hcv Rna Quantitative Testing

Hepatitis C

The viral load of hepatitis C refers to the amount of virus present in the bloodstream. The quantitative HCV RNA tests measure the amount of hepatitis C virus in the blood. The result will be an exact number, such as “1,215,422 IU/L.” Many people refer to the quantitative measurement as the hepatitis C “viral load.”

Viral load tests are used to confirm active hepatitis C infection and are used during treatment to help determine response. If you have lower levels of virus in your blood when you start treatment, you may have a better chance of getting rid of the virus.

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How Can I Tell If I Am Contagious And Can Spread The Infection To Others

If you have detectable HCV RNA in your blood, you have the potential to spread the disease to other people. Hepatitis C is spread by exposure to contaminated blood. The most common mechanism of exposure is the sharing of needles or other ‘works’ used in consuming drugs such as cocaine or heroin. Other routes of transmission include use of contaminated equipment for body piercing and tattooing, occupational exposure of healthcare workers to used needles or other sharp objects, and, less commonly, through sexual activity that results in tissue tears or from mother to baby during childbirth.

Viral Load Reflex Testing

Resistance testing provides the best results when the tests are performed as soon as it is known that the patients drugs are no longer working. Monogram provides viral load reflex testing options to facilitate this process. We can perform a viral load test and then automatically run a resistance and/or tropism test if the patients viral load meets or exceeds the viral load thresholds for the chosen assay. Call Customer Service at 800-777-0177 to get the latest test request form that lists all of our resistance and tropism tests and our viral load and reflex options.

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What Is The Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver. There are five different types of hepatitis virus that attack the liver. Hepatitis C is the most serious type that can be transmitted through being exposed to contaminated blood. This virus is rarely transmitted through sexual contact. It is either acute or chronic but, there is no vaccine that can help protect us from it. Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted through coughing or sneezing, sharing utensils, hugging and kissing as well as holding hands.

Unlike other kinds of hepatitis, being infected with hepatitis C does not protect you from being re-infected by it. This virus undergoes a lot of changes when it replicates in our system, this will prevent our immune system to build up an appropriate immune response for future infections.

The quantitative real time PCR hepatitis C virus test measures the viral load in infected individuals. The count will come as number of international units per mL of blood. It is used measure the amount of viral RNA particles in the blood. It is also used to diagnose an active infection as well as determine the bodys response to therapy, by comparing the before and after count of the virus.

Hepatitis C Reflex Testing

To ensure complete and timely diagnosis of HCV, HCV reflex testing is recommended following a reactive hepatitis C antibody screening test. Reflex testing means the laboratory will perform the hepatitis C antibody test, and if the result is positive, the laboratory will immediately perform an HCV RNA test on the same specimen. If the subsequent HCV RNA test is negative, HCV infection is effectively ruled out for most patients. If the reflex HCV RNA test is positive, a diagnosis of active HCV infection has been confirmed, and the individual should be referred directly for HCV care and treatment.

Reflex testing obviates the need for the patient to return for follow-up testing should the initially HCV antibody test be reactive. If the RNA test is negative, the work-up is done, and the patient may be reassured.

• Rationale for reflex testing:

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Hepatitis C Antibody Blood Test

The Hepatitis C Abs test is the most commonly ordered screening for Hepatitis C infections. This test looks for antibodies that develop in response to an infection. These antibodies are usually detectable at 4-12 weeks or greater after exposure. Results for this test are quantitative and will indicate a reactive , nonreactive , or in some cases, equivocal result. Hepatitis C is a virus spread through contact with infected blood. Nearly 80% of Hepatitis C infections develop into chronic Hepatitis. The number of people worldwide with chronic Hepatitis C infections is around 150 million. Chronic Hepatitis C infections can lead to serious health complications such as Cirrhosis and Liver Cancer. Many HCV infections display no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, some of the most common include:

Fever Grey feces Jaundice

Hepatitis C can be spread in a variety of ways. Some of the most common include intravenous drug use, improperly cleaned or sterilized tattoo and piercing equipment, sexual contact, blood transfusions , and from an infected mother to her infant during birth. The Hepatitis C Abs test is most commonly ordered as routine screening. This test can be ordered by anyone who is concerned they have been exposed to the Hepatitis C virus regardless of whether they are experiencing symptoms or not. For a recent exposure, the Hepatitis C RNA PCR Quantitative test may be more accurate.Turnaround time for the Hepatitis C Abs test is usually 1 business day.

When Is It Ordered

The CDC, the Infectious Diseases Society of America , the American Association of the Study of Liver Diseases , and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening with an HCV antibody test at least once in your lifetime when you are 18 years old or older . The CDC also recommends HCV screening for women with each pregnancy or for anyone who requests it.

One-time screening is recommended regardless of age if you:

• Have ever injected illegal drugs
• Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992*
• Have received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987
• Were ever on long-term dialysis
• Are a child born to HCV-positive women
• Have been exposed to the blood of someone with hepatitis C
• Are a healthcare, emergency medicine, or public safety worker who had needlesticks, sharps, or mucosal exposure to HCV-positive blood
• Have evidence of chronic liver disease
• Have HIVabout 21% of those with HIV are also infected with HCV .

*The blood supply has been monitored in the U.S. since 1992, and any units of blood that test positive for HCV are rejected for use in another person. The current risk of HCV infection from transfused blood is about one case per two million transfused units.

Screening at regular intervals is recommended if you have ongoing risk of HCV infection, such as current injection drug use and sharing needles or syringes.

• Fatigue
• Yellowing of eyes and skin

An HCV RNA test is ordered when:

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Should I Get The Hbv Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults in high-risk groups get vaccinated. Some of these groups include people:

• In close contact with someone who has hepatitis B
• Who undergo dialysis
• With chronic liver or kidney disease
• With HIV or who seek treatment for other sexually transmitted diseases or drug treatment
• Who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common
• Who are healthcare workers with potential exposure to HBV

Unless there is something in your medical history to the contrary, it is prudent to get the series of vaccinations. Babies, children and adolescents are routinely given the series of shots if you have already been vaccinated, you probably are protected for many years, perhaps for life, and will not usually need to get the vaccine again.

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