What is hepatitis c ab?

Exposure marker: Hepatitis c antibody a immunologic protein the body makes indicating one has been infected by the hepatitis c virus. It provides no protection against the virus. 80% of patients will not clear the virus from their body and will develop chronic infection. They will have detectable virus in their blood (viremia). Even if no virus is detected in the blood, the antibody remains.

Antibody: Ab is short for antibody. If you've been exposed to hepatitis c, your body will generate antibodies against it. It's usually the first line test we order if we're looking for hepatitis c. If it comes back positive, usually order more tests, like viral load (how much virus there is in your body).