The virus can often be contracted through dental, cosmetic or wellness procedures abroad, or through tattoos and piercings.
Thursday, August 31, 2023 01:11, United Kingdom
People are being urged to get free hepatitis C tests amid fears thousands of people may have unknowingly contracted the disease abroad.
Although NHS bosses hope it will be wiped out in England by 2025About 70,000 adults may still have the disease without realizing it, according to healthcare company Preventx.
Adding that the blood-borne virus can be contracted through dental, cosmetic or wellness procedures, or through tattoos and piercings.
This occurs when equipment is not sterilized or hygiene measures are not followed, and by sharing household items such as razors and toothbrushes.
It usually takes years for any symptoms to appear, but may later lead to muscle aches, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain and nausea.
Since many of these symptoms are common symptoms of other illnesses, such as the flu, NHS Says the only way to be sure you don’t have the disease is to get tested.
If left untreated, it may lead to life-threatening diseases such as liver cancer or liver failure.
Man ‘shocked’ by unexpected diagnosis
New research from Preventx shows more than two-thirds of people don’t know much about Hepatitis C70% of people are unaware that it is spread through blood contact.
More than three-quarters of people don’t know you can contract the disease from a tattoo or piercing, and a similar number don’t know you can live with it for years without showing any signs, a survey revealed.
Patient Mo Goolamallee, 55, was only diagnosed in January 2023, 25 years after he was thought to have contracted the disease after receiving emergency medical treatment in January 2023. Sri Lanka.
The father-of-one, then 30, spent two months in a hospital in the country after a motorcycle accident.
He said he was “shocked” when he tested positive in hospital after an incident at the gym earlier this year.
“I wish I had known the risks of contracting hepatitis C while being treated overseas,” he said.
“What I’ve found really difficult since being diagnosed is the stigma and lack of understanding around hepatitis C.
“A lot of people think it only affects drug users. I’ve had people confuse it with HIV and various other diseases.
“We need to educate more people about this virus and get more people tested.”
How to get tested
In England, anyone aged 18 or over can get a test delivered to their door for free through the NHS.
It involves pricking your finger, placing a small sample of blood into a test tube and sending it to a laboratory for analysis.
Testing is also available at sexual health clinics, drug treatment services and GPs, and the NHS says early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing liver damage and ensuring the infection does not spread.
While there is no vaccine for the disease, there are some simple treatments, including pills.
More than 90 per cent of people with hepatitis C could be cured using the latest drugs, the NHS says.