HCV or the hepatitis C virus is a global disease with over 150 million people infected. Over one million cases are reported every year from all over the world. If a person gets in contact with another person’s blood either by using the same injection or through sexual contact, the chances are high to get infected, but the chances of getting HIV from sexual contact are very low and could only take place if infected blood comes in contact with the other person.
HCV has different types for different people, and to identify the different variances, scientists use terms like genotype for the treatment. The only way to find out which genotype you have is by getting a blood test. This will help find the right treatment for you because after knowing your genotype level, your doctor will prescribe you the medicine based on that.
Different Strains of HCV
Usually, the hepatitis C virus consists of seven genotypes or strains from one to seven, and genotypes 1 to 3 are only found worldwide. The other four genotypes are only found in certain countries, mostly Egypt, Africa, and Southeast Asia. These genotypes do not tell the liver’s progress or failure and how much it is damaged, but rather they tell that what treatment will be required based on the strain. Although the other genotypes work wonderfully on the treatment, genotype 3 has a very difficult and hard treatment.
When a patient is positive for HCV genotype 3, his recovery rate becomes slow. When a person has genotype 3, the body’s cells quickly damage the liver, preventing it from functioning, and may later cause liver failure. The other genotypes’ treatment has been researched, but most of them do not help in curing Genotype 3. The medicine for all other genotypes does not work on genotype 3, and only a few medicines can help in curing genotype 3 because, in this stage, the chances of getting cured are less, but liver damage happens in quick succession.
That is why it is necessary to get tested for HCV genotype variances which can help get the right treatment based on your case. To cure HCV diseases, antiviral medicines are used. Sofokast Plus is one of the acknowledged medicines that uses two antiviral drugs, which helps treat genotype 1 and genotype 3 strains.
