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hepatitis c spread through dry blood

If i wipe a surface with a towel with some dry blood spots, is hepatitis c a risk if that surface is touched with my hands then i get scratched myself with some bleeding?
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Avatar universal
I got a cuticle nick during a pedicure. It wasn't bleeding but was one where it stings a bit and clear fluid coming out. Is this exposure a risk for hep c?
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Avatar universal
Thanks I gather it now that even if mine was a bleeding open wound, if there's no visible fresh infected blood or just a dry blood stain then there's no way the virus could be contracted. I'm sure you would agree with me on this. It was really a waste of time to let my thoughts go haywire.
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683231 tn?1467323017
: Hepatitis C is spread by blood-to-blood contact. Someone with an open wound would have to have that wound come into contact with infected blood in order for there to be a risk of transmitting the hepatitis C virus.

There is often confusion about what is meant by an “open wound.” An open wound is one that is still bleeding or still oozing fluid. A wound that is scabbed over and nothing is coming out of the wound is a “closed wound” and therefore is not a possible entry site for the hepatitis C or other blood-borne viruses.

As I said the odds for a health care worker are very low and yours are proportionately low.

If you still have concerns you could be tested but I am very doubtful you have contracted hep c.

Even if some how you did get hep c at some time in your life why worry about catching a virus that can take decades to cause harm that is now very curable?

To me it seems such a waste of time and energy to be allowing this small and unlikely concern to occupy your mind
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Avatar universal
Also if the blood on the innerwear is just a dry blood stain, I assume there's no risk even if the person trying it on has some wet wounds,correct?
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Thank you what's an open wet wound, anything with some slight bloody ooze without actual bleeding?
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683231 tn?1467323017
Just to add hep c infected blood must enter your blood stream you nee to have an open wet wound not a superficial scratch. Even health care workers who have an accidental needle stick involving a patient with known hep c the odds of transmission is only about 1.8%
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Avatar universal
Wishing you the very best.
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Avatar universal
Thank you so much for your response. It helped me a lot. And yes I do feel like it's ocd that I'm dealing with n will try to get through it without seeking an explanation for every ' what if' scenario. God bless your family.
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Avatar universal
Absolutely not. In order for HCV to survive in the environment, everything has to be perfect. I don't know what the parameters for that perfection are but if it were that easy to "catch" hep C, more people would have it.  I got hep C in 1966. I was diagnosed in 1991. I had my first child in 1967. Neither of my kids have hep C nor does my husband. Of course no precautions were taken as we were unaware I had hep C. My girls used my razors and I am sure my husband and I used the same toothbrush by mistake more than once. I am not advocating carelessness, just pointing out it is not easy and certainly not from the scenarios you describe.

With all due respect, if these kinds of things pray on your mind frequently, I would talk with a counselor. It is painful to live with constant fear.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for ur reply would u consider it a risk if you had some minor cuts on the body n tried on new innerwear in the mall considering there's a stain on it?
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Avatar universal
No. That is a bit of a stretch. I wouldn't worry about transmission in that scenario.
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