Hep C Quantitative RNA PCR Test Result

Your viral load is the amount of virus that you have, in a given volume of your blood (usually 1 milliliter = 1 cubic centimeter). More precisely, it means that the amount of Hep C genetic material found in your blood corresponds to as many Hep C viruses as the given number says. Therefore the given number denotes “viral equivalents.”

200,000 to 1,000,000 low
1,000,000 to 5,000,000 medium
5,000,000 to 25,000,000 high
above 25,000,000 very high


Hope this helps.

Hi brycetx1...Yup, take a big breath and peel yourself off the ceiling. Rubi gave you a great explanation.
Whoever gave you your results needs some education/counseling on how to talk to patients...just my 2 cents.

The typical assay range for an HCV-PCR assay these days is:

15 IU/ml to 100,000,000 IU/ml.

In an attempt to standardize results, the use of international units (IU) was adopted. There is still no universal formula to convert the number of virus particles to IU, but in round figures it ranges from 1-5 particles/IU.
The conversion factor for the most commonly used assay is:
2.4 copies per IU/ml.

Do you have an appointment or plans to see a hepatologist?

The Hep C viral load suggests that you have active Hep C. Some with Hep C cure the virus themselves over time. Many move on to Chronic Hep C that can do a lot of damage to the liver over a long period of time. If you believe you have recently acquired Hep C, your prognosis is really good. If you think, like many on this forum, you acquired Hep C long ago, it is important that you see a Hepatologist soon. There are treatments that can bring you virul load to <15 undetected.

My partner had Hep C from 1969 until 2014....so he has been there. he had a transplant in 2011 and brought the evil Hep C into the new liver, but now he is clear.

Bring your questions here..many folks here know the drill.

Hugs,
Mama Lama