Questions I should know by now

[R Glass]

What is the difference between Remission and Undetected?
Is a person considered contagious if they are undetected? I am not talking about Donating Blood

[fuzzy1dar]

I have been wondering the same thing...are you still contagius after UND!  Thanks...that was allot of help to me!  It's all so confusing sometimes..especially when the brain fog comes in and stays to long like realitives that don't know when to go home.  lol  

[medicmommy]

I had the very same questions and had the opportunity to ask a virologist of when, if ever, is a person no longer contagious with hep C...His answer...As the viral load lessens, the ability to pass it on lessens...If you have a really strong immune system and a healthy lifestyle, the viral load can be held down for years, perhaps a lifetime...A fortunate few can actually fight it off immediately after exposure and they naturally develop the antibodies for that particular strain of hep C and are not contagious...Unfortunately, the others that are past the acute phase, have passed the "window" of naturally gaining the immunities needed and are unable to fight it off without outside help....So, if the treatment doesn't boost their immune system enough, the virus remains...if the immune system is boosted just barely enough, a tiny undetectable amount may remain...But, like cancer, there isn't a test of absolutes that can determine it is completely gone...So, in a nut shell, he said that the only way to truly know, was to be SVR for life...Not much help, huh? LOL

[Lady Lauri]

I guess/think SVR is our ''cure', so 'remission' could be our 'UND' !?  In cancer it means 'it's gone-for now, if it stays gone, your 'cured', so guess it can apply with us. (the word).
UND is plain undetected, which all can be during tx and hope to remain, but UND isn't 'cured' until it is still that way 6mths, after tx, than 'UND' is 'SVR'.

Did I say all that right???

Zazza... I also feel when we're UND, we have no 'virus' to pass along (after 'SVR' that is), but also wonder as we're 'undetected', even if just a tiny bit in us, less chance to be 'contagious'. If SVR, I'd assume there is simply none left, so not 'contagious'.
(???? this is all so confusing!)
Tho I still wouldn't go passing my blood along to friends :)

LL

[zazza]

Remission is what the virus might be in once SVR. I guess nobody really knows if we are "cured" and the virus is completely gone from our bodies, or if it is in remission and that is why there is a sustained viral response, i e "permanently" undetected in the blood stream.

I would not dare to consider myself un-contagious just because I am UND. As long as I am not yet SVR, the virus might still be in my body and thus I would be contagious. The thought has occurred to me though that maybe I am less contagious when UND?

Just my two cents, maybe someone else has other thoughts.