Hello! I work as a nurse and yesterday I stuck myself on a needle of a patient who suffers from hepatitis c. A doctor told me to get a blood test immediately that turned out negative and now I will have another test in 6 months. I want to know if a negative test can be actually positive and if I am diagnosed with hepatitis c, will I be restricted in my work? Thank you
After needle stick or sharps exposure to HCV positive blood , about 2 (1.8%) healthcare workers out of 100 will get infected with HCV. Your test that proved negative can be positive if it is done too earlier before the antibodies developed. Even if you are diagnosed with hepatitis c you won’t be ( at least you shouldn’t be ) restricted from your work as there are little chance that a patient can get infected with your blood.