Aa
Got in a fight with an HCV infected person...
I got into an (embarrassing) fist fight with this guy. It was immature of me to get drawn into it, of course, and it shouldn't have happened, but it did. My question is this: after the fight I found out that he has HCV, and what worries me is that we both had a bloody knuckle or two after it was over, and I also sustained a small cut to my face due to the HS class ring on his finger.
Could I get HCV from this? Have there been any cases of fights causing HCV transmission?
Thanks!
-Bill
Could I get HCV from this? Have there been any cases of fights causing HCV transmission?
Thanks!
-Bill
No worries. That's the whole point of forums like this - to share information and support. : )
There is financial help for people without insurance. In fact both Gilead and Merck have PAP programs for those without insurance but not for those with insurance where insurance won't pay.
Also the 2% risk factor for healthcare workers who have needle-sticks is not needle-sticks from known HCV+ patients. It is any needle-stick in a medical setting.
Also the 2% risk factor for healthcare workers who have needle-sticks is not needle-sticks from known HCV+ patients. It is any needle-stick in a medical setting.
Thanks guys. I am especially encouraged by sparky43's comment that "medical personnel who are working on a patient who is positive for hepatitis C and accidentally stick themselves with a bloody needle only get infected at a rate of around 2%." That sounds good enough for me!
What really ticks me off about my entirely useless round of fistycuffs, is that after 38 years with HCV and two separate, agonizing and useless Pegylated Interferon/Ribavirin treatments, culminating (thankfully) in successful treatment with $180,000 of Harvoni, I certainly don't want to get this crappy disease back again. My liver already looks like Swiss-cheese from the cirrhosis caused by the almost four decades of the original non-A/non-B infection...
(Sparky43; yes, my nemesis has HCV, but has no medical insurance for Harvoni treatment.)
What really ticks me off about my entirely useless round of fistycuffs, is that after 38 years with HCV and two separate, agonizing and useless Pegylated Interferon/Ribavirin treatments, culminating (thankfully) in successful treatment with $180,000 of Harvoni, I certainly don't want to get this crappy disease back again. My liver already looks like Swiss-cheese from the cirrhosis caused by the almost four decades of the original non-A/non-B infection...
(Sparky43; yes, my nemesis has HCV, but has no medical insurance for Harvoni treatment.)
I agree with surfside and disagree with the statement "I don't think this would be considered a high risk event."
When you're fighting, you have a potential to forcibly mash blood into your bloodstream or your opponent's bloodstream. That's why fighters in the MMA and boxing have to undergo strict testing to make sure they're not harboring infectious diseases such as HepC and HIV.
When you're fighting, you have a potential to forcibly mash blood into your bloodstream or your opponent's bloodstream. That's why fighters in the MMA and boxing have to undergo strict testing to make sure they're not harboring infectious diseases such as HepC and HIV.
I haven't heard of any studies about the possibility of becoming infected from a fistfight either. The only case I remember involving a fight was a knife fight which involved deep cuts and a lot of blood.
I don't think this would be considered a high risk event, especially since you can't be sure that a cut on his hand actually made contact with the cut on your face.
How did you find out that he is positive for HCV? Are you sure about this? Did he tell you himself? If so, he may have said it just to freak you out.
To give you some perspective on the probability of becoming infected with hepatitis c, medical personnel who are working on a patient who is positive for hepatitis c and accidentally stick themselves with a bloody needle only get infected at a rate of around 2%. Hospitals maintain accurate records of this and anyone who suffers a needle stick must report it to the hospital staff, so the numbers are dependable.
For a professional opinion, you can always ask Dr. Hook or Dr. Handsfeld in the "Ask The Experts" section of this website. They specialize in STDs but will answer your questions about hepatitis c.
If you are anxious about this, you can always get tested. The regular antibody test requires at least a 3 month waiting period for your body to develop antibodies, but there is the dna-pcr test which will be accurate after 2-3 weeks.
I don't think this would be considered a high risk event, especially since you can't be sure that a cut on his hand actually made contact with the cut on your face.
How did you find out that he is positive for HCV? Are you sure about this? Did he tell you himself? If so, he may have said it just to freak you out.
To give you some perspective on the probability of becoming infected with hepatitis c, medical personnel who are working on a patient who is positive for hepatitis c and accidentally stick themselves with a bloody needle only get infected at a rate of around 2%. Hospitals maintain accurate records of this and anyone who suffers a needle stick must report it to the hospital staff, so the numbers are dependable.
For a professional opinion, you can always ask Dr. Hook or Dr. Handsfeld in the "Ask The Experts" section of this website. They specialize in STDs but will answer your questions about hepatitis c.
If you are anxious about this, you can always get tested. The regular antibody test requires at least a 3 month waiting period for your body to develop antibodies, but there is the dna-pcr test which will be accurate after 2-3 weeks.
Any time blood is exchanged there is a risk of transmitting HCV. I do not believe there have been any studies regarding transmission from a fight, but it certainly makes sense that it can happen.
2 Comments
Cage fighters can fight if they have active Hepatitis C. This also includes wrestlers.
Correction: CAN'T fight with active Hepatitis C
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SurfsideGal is mistaken about the infection rate for healthcare workers. It is for Hepatitis C positive patients, not just needlesticks in general. From the CDC website:
What is the risk for HCV infection from a needlestick exposure to HCV-contaminated blood?
After a needlestick or sharps exposure to HCV-positive blood, the risk of HCV infection is approximately 1.8% (range: 0%–10%).