If Harvoni Worked, Then Why Can't We Donate Blood?

[Roger]

Can someone please remind me why we can not donate blood,
even after Harvoni had done its job on the virus?

[Lynn K]

The blood banks only test for antibodies once that is positive they dump the donation.

They are not going to do a viral load on every hep c antibody positive donation.

Also to err on the side of caution remember the Hippocratic oath "First do no harm"

Cost prohibitive to test viral load and not worth the small risk

[Roger]

...so the antibody is always present, even if the virus has burned itself out?

[Lynn K]

Yes we will always test positive for the antibodies for hep c just like if you either had or were vaccinated for the measles.

In measles the antibodies offer us protection to infection. However the hepatitis c antibodies afford us no such protection.

Unfortunately our immune systems cannot beat the hep c virus which is why most go on to be chronic carriers

[Roger]

So is our blood still able to contaminate others?

[Lynn K]

No

Antibodies are made by our bodies in response to an infection they are not the virus they are antibodies to the virus. Only the virus is what causes an infection. If the virus is eridicated you don't have any virus to transmit

[Roger]

Ok... I'm starting to get it!

And Harvoni does not actually 'kill' the virus, it more less sterilizes it so it can not replicate - correct?  If this is correct, does that mean that the virus is still floating around, only it is not vital? (not dead)

[Lynn K]

I don't know specifically how long a virus cell lives but not that long. So once Harvoni prevents replication the population dies off

[Roger]

Thanks Lynn! 

[dragonslayer]

>>And Harvoni does not actually 'kill' the virus, it more less sterilizes it so it can not replicate - correct?  If this is correct, does that mean that the virus is still floating around, only it is not vital? (not dead)<<

I keep reading a different 'version' on other forums.. Specifically, the virus doesnt die; its still there, but in small enough numbers so that its our immune system which keeps it in check.  This 'version' never made sense to me; I kept asking myself how is it that now, the immune system keeps it in check, but somehow, earlier, the same immune system allowed it to grow into the millions of iU/ml?  I prefer the 'debilitated and impotent virions' version better!

[Lynn K]

http://www.catie.ca/en/fact-sheets/hepatitis/harvoni-ledipasvir-sofosbuvir

 How does Harvoni work?

Hep C is a disease of the liver that is caused by a virus. A virus is a very tiny germ that makes copies of itself to survive by a process called replication. The Hep C virus has at least six different strains, which are also known as genotypes.

Harvoni is a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medication. DAAs are a group of medications that directly block the ability of the hepatitis C virus to make copies of itself.

Harvoni is a combination of two DAAs. One is sofosbuvir, which is a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, and the other is ledipasvir, which is an NS5A inhibitor. Sofosbuvir interferes with the reproduction of the virus’s genetic material, stopping the production of new Hep C virus. Ledipasvir works by interfering with a protein needed to complete the Hep C virus life cycle in the liver cell.

Hep C treatment can cure a person from Hep C. However, a person could get infected again.

I personally like to think we have spayed and neutered all the tiny little dragons so they can't reproduce and then the population died off.