Question
I think it was really scary to read all that has been said about Hepatitis C this week. I know that the virus that causes it is constantly mutating and therefore they will not be able to produce a vaccine for it. To think that it is soon to become a bigger epidemic than HIV and that it has been a ticking time bomb for some time is hard to believe. They are predicting that 208,000 Americans will die as a result of this illness between the years 2010-2019. And the price tag for the disease will be 81.8 billion dollars with 10.3 billion in treatment costs and 71.5 billion in lost productivity.
Right now 4 million Americans are infected with Hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that might scar their livers so badly that they'll need a liver transplant to survive.In fact they are saying that it will be the leading reason for need of liver transplants in the future. In fact they are saying that it cause a more than 5-fold increase in the demand for liver transplants over the next decade.
The disease has a very long lag time from exposure to progression. After infection, there may be few visible signs of illness for years even decades. Recently the VA has become so alarmed at the increase of hepatitis C in Vietnam-era veterans that they issued an alert. These were individuals who certainly contacted the disease during that time and they are only now showing symptoms. Symptoms, when they do occur, include extreme fatigue, loss of appetitie, nausea and abdominal pain. About 15% of those infected recover completely without medical care.
The rest develop a chronic liver infection. Some of these people may not be seriously affected, but they remain carriers of the virus,and are able to infect others.
For about 20 percent of people infected with hepatitis C, the consequences are more serious. They will develop chronic liver disease that will progress from fibrosis to cirrhosis to cancer. Many who develop cirrhosis of the liver will die in this stage of the disease.In the next 20 years, the number of deaths attributable to hepatitis C will be about 24,000-30,000 a year.
Answer
Sibyl,
Thanks for posting that information. I read alot, and know that you're correct about the alarming increase in these cases.
I have a question for you though. I received something in the mail from the hospital where I gave birth to my firstborn.....25 years ago.... saying that I should have the Hepatitis C Test done because I had received a blood transfusion after giving birth.
However, I regularly give blood and that is where my question comes in. Wouldn't they be checking my donor blood for this? Can I consider myself safe?
Thanks!
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"The heart is the happiest when it beats for others."
~ Mary ~
Answer
The medical community is calling on the government to intensify efforts to alert pre-1992 transfusion recipients that they may be at risk for hepatitis C because blood banks did not begin screening for this virus until the 1990's was well under way. So it depends on when you received your blood transfusion. I would definitely get tested for it, if they are requesting you do so. Women given a blood transfusion during childbirth during this time period fall into this group.
I think they should be testing your blood for hepatitis C and calling you if they found out anything, but I am not sure if they are required to notify you. Only if you have the AIDS virus. I am going back to work tomorrow--will ask my lab technician friends about that. Maybe call the Red Cross? I am not sure about that and maybe each state is different? Maybe Nurse Red or Dr. Briggs could answer that one.
[This message has been edited by RunningSoLate (edited November 14, 1999).]
Answer
I have a question, both legal and medical in nature, so maybe a few of you at trucknet can give me an answer. I was diagnosed with Hep C earlier this year. I was blacklisted as a driver for other reasons and finally got a job offer which I took last month, mainly because I was unable to get treatment by any doctors or phamaceutical companies that "claimed" to have indigency programs.
My last message to one of those companies was rather irrate. Reason being I had this job offer and had decided as a last-ditch effort to get into some program to treat my Hep C. Any way, the guy I spoke with over the phone said there no longer was an indigency program so upset, I took the job and left a nasty note on the website saying
I took employment with a trucking company that carried food products and it would be a shame if anyone was exposed to my disease as a result of doing my job!
Last week an FBI agent called my wife and askied I get in touch with him, which I did. At the meeting, they said the pharmaceutical company was considering my e-mail as a threat and prosecuting me! They further suggested I quit my new job and look for something that wouldn't be as "risky".
I called and quit over the weekend but I'm sure there will be a problem over this in the future and as of yet, the FBI has not called me back, or arrested me either.
My problem is; my daughter has been exposed and we tested her this week. I feel the doctors and the company which delayed and discouraged me from getting treatment, (it was suggested to me that I would need insurance to cover all the costs of treatment) are partially responsible for putting my daughter at risk. It was a further shock to witness the nurse who gave my daughter the blood test, pick up the cotton swab with my daughter's blood with her bare hands!! Wha's the deal with this disease since I haven't gotten a straight answer from anyone yet.
I do know the current treatment can put the disease in remission quickly since the guy who alerted me to his exposure had tested
"negative" within a few months of getting the new combination therapy.
I am looking for a new driving job but am concerned the FBI will prevent this as well!
Any suggestions or help?
Thanks,
rosster