Positive hep c antibodies but no virus. What does this mean? (plus 2 quick qs)

[skleep]

Hope everyone is well :) This question isn't for me, but a family member.  He is in his 70s, and he recently told me that about thirty years ago he was giving blood and was told due to non-A, non-B hepatitis antibodies in his blood he couldn't give blood, but he said that he saw doctors after that who told him he did not have hepatitis C, and his health is in great condition.  I didn't want to bug him too much for information, but I'm curious. I know false positives are common (and used to be even more common).  Does this sound like a false positive, or does it sound like he had hep C at one point but his body cleared it up? (Other than his age he has no obvious risk factors).

Also, another question (which I hope nobody takes offense from).  If I stay in the same house as someone who DOES have hep c, what is the likelihood of me picking it up just from casual things (like maybe they cut their hand, touch something and I don't notice it, then I touch it, then rub my eye or touch a cut of mine or something like that).  This seems totally crazy to me and my first instinct is not to even consider that possibility (especially since I know people with hep c who didn't know for years, and whose entire families still don't have it) but I definitely want to make sure I protect myself within reasonable limits.  I just heard it lives a long time on surfaces, so it's making me wonder why the whole world doesn't have it.

And one last question which is kinda random: would a comprehensive metabolic panel detect liver damage or any warning signs associated with hepatitis of any kind?

[skleep]

I pretty much treat everyone (unless confirmed negative) like they have it, including myself.  best not to discriminate!  it's one reason I just don't share razors with anyone.  thanks for the answer.

[virt111]

A comprehensive metabolic panel is not a good indicator of liver damage in general.  Some people with active infections have numbers that fluctuate and appear perfectly normal at times.

Sounds like you're a bit anxious and the only true way to clear your head may be to see your doctor, let him/her know your concerns, and get tested.

Best to you.

[can-do-man]

If your family member had a RNA PCR ran and doesn't have a viral load then there is nothing to "catch" as antibodies are harmless. When it comes to blood everyone should take precautions, Hep C or not. If it was easy to get like you said everybody would have it. Almost everyone here has a spouse or kids in the house that do not have it. Try not to worry.