What does it mean to be negative for hepatitis C virus?

Negative antibodies to hepatitis C virus indicate no infection with the hepatitis C virus. If the hepatitis C virus antibody is positive, the hepatitis C virus HCV-RNA should be further examined , and if the HCV-RNA is positive, only then can it be confirmed that it is infected with the hepatitis C virus. For patients with positive HCV-RNA, antiviral treatment used to be with interferon plus ribavirin, and there are now many effective drugs available for antiviral treatment. These drugs are small molecule drugs such as Sofosbuvir, Vipatavir, Daclatasvir, Dasebuvir and other agents. These drugs are administered orally and have a short and effective course of treatment, usually averaging three months. If HCV-RNA is positive, antiviral drugs should be applied as early as possible to reduce the occurrence of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.