Freaking out about Hepatitis ??

[juju_1]

I was working as a cashier when an elderly man came by. He just bought a bunch of pork and I had touched two when I noticed he has huge cuts bleeding a over. The cart, the belt, the other packages he put up. I washed my hands, never actually saw blood on me, and don't see any cuts on my hands. My doctor is closed now and I have work all day tomorrow. Do I need to make time to go get a blood test? This just triggered everything again and I can't stop reading about hep c and b and how they take months to show and are horrible.

[tan235]

Not sure what you're worried about?
He had cuts on his hand and you touched his hand?
Seriously - nothing to worry about it - you don't know he had hepatitis do you?
Why would he have hepatitis?
You don't have it -even if he did have it - your Dr will tell you the same.

Ways that HCV can be transmitted

Injecting, smoking or snorting drugs with shared, unsterilised equipment.

Tattooing or piercing when needles, ink, inkwells and other equipment are shared.

Medical or dental procedures with unsterilised equipment, including kidney dialysis.

Needlestick accidents to health workers.

Sharing items that may contain blood, such as razors, toothbrushes, nail scissors and nail files.

Sex with someone who has HCV but this is complex.

To a baby during pregnancy, labour or at birth.

From a blood transfusion or blood products before blood screening.

This risk is now virtually zero in the UK, Western Europe and the US. However, up to 90% of people with haemophilia who were treated with clotting factors before 1985 were infected with both HIV and HCV.

[Mindphaser]

Chill down.

Blood cannot penetrate your skin (assuming it was contained, and you don't know that), you would have to touch it with open wound or smthng. In Poland every baby has to be vaccinated for hep b, i don't know how it is in US? Maybe you have been vaccinated? Hep C became curable lately so EVEN if you got infected (which i assume real chance is like 0.00000000001%) you can cure it.

Seriously, I have strong health anxiety so i know how it is. Currently I'm obssesed with cancers. And you probably know that reading shit on the internet like symptoms, and the worst, "stories" from people who are actually sick is the worst thing you can do. Take a deep breath and relax, I'm sure you have not got infected.