Contact with HCV could have had over 90 percent. of us. The disease may manifest itself even after 30 years, but then the liver, which is attacked by the virus, is already in a terrible condition.
- HCV causes hepatitis C (hepatitis C). It is the cause of, among others cancer of this organ, one of the most difficult cancers to treat
- In Poland, about 150 are infected with HCV. people, approx. 720 thousand had contact with him, but the disease did not become active. It is estimated that contact with HCV could have been over 90 percent. of us.
- Sebastian Gawlik: as much as 120 the infected remain unrecognized, sometimes we refer to them as “missing”. Finding them is the biggest challenge in the fight against hepatitis C.
- On July 28, we celebrated World Hepatitis Day
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Hepatitis C can be cured in a short time and for free. Provided that we do not belong to a group of approx. 120 thousand. “Missing”. Who are the “missing” people, who should be examined and when, what is the treatment? Urszula Jaworska, founder of the foundation named after her name and Sebastian Gawlik, project coordinator, told Medonet about hepatitis C.
The Urszula Jaworska Foundation has been helping patients with hepatitis C, leukemia, cancer and multiple sclerosis for 24 years. It is also building a bank of bone marrow donors, fights for pro-candidate systemic changes in health care, and conducts educational and information campaigns. One of them is the HCV testing campaign conducted in correctional facilities, and soon also in prisons – Urszula Jaworska and Sebastian Gawlik talked about it in an interview with Medonet.
Monika Mikołajska / Medonet: Your foundation took under its wing people struggling with various diseases – cancer, multiple sclerosis, leukemia. Why is hepatitis C also among them?
Urszula Jaworska: It was pure coincidence. It started 13 years ago. We were the first in Poland to organize workshops for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. The company that dealt with HCV approached us to do a similar workshop. At that time, we made a nationwide project aimed at both patients and doctors. Soon after, Sebastian called me saying he had HCV (we had known each other a long time before) and that the treatment was not working for him. So we can say that Sebastian, when he came to the foundation, brought all the HCV as a gift. And it stuck to us.
- WHO wants to have the disease completely eradicated by 2030. Will it succeed?
Hepatitis C is considered to be one of the greatest health challenges in the world. Why?
Sebastian Gawlik: The biggest problem is that the disease is essentially asymptomatic. He doesn’t let you know for 20 or even 30 years. The liver doesn’t hurt and everything seems fine. People often find out that they have hepatitis C only when they develop cirrhosis or develop liver cancer. In Poland, about 150 are infected with HCV. people, approx. 720 thousand they had contact with the virus, but the disease did not become active in them. As many as 120 thousand they remain unrecognized, sometimes we refer to them as “missing”. Finding them is the biggest challenge in the fight against hepatitis C.
- Liver disease – how to protect yourself? Preventive examinations and vaccinations
How did you find out that you have HCV in you?
Sebastian Gawlik: Fortunately, I was among the 20 percent. patients who develop any symptoms. It started when I was tired all the time, my joints ached – so much so that I had a problem getting out of bed and walking normally. This brought me to the doctor. It is true that the first doctor sent me on sick leave to rest, the second one similarly, but the third one ordered a full package of tests, including an HCV test. It turned out to be positive. It was 2008. I was referred to the infectious ward of one of Warsaw hospitals. I was under surveillance there for several years. Unfortunately, I reacted badly to the therapy. Eventually I found myself in clinical trials. Today I am completely healthy.
Urszula Jaworska: I remember asking Sebastian, after he was cured, about the quality of his life. He admitted that it was a completely different life. Before his illness he was very active, later he could not run or sing anymore. Piece by piece, the disease took his life away.
The above video was made available to us by the Urszula Jaworska Foundation
When should we have a red light? What signals are warning about HCV infection?
Sebastian Gawlik: The symptoms are non-specific – chronic fatigue, joint pain, long-term problems with moods, lack of appetite, abdominal pain. If someone got a tattoo, was hospitalized several times, they go to the dentist – all this should prompt an HCV test. Intravenous and nasal drugs also pose a risk of infection. Remember, the risk of infection is where damage to the skin can occur, because HCV is transmitted through contact with infected blood.
Are there areas where the risk of infection may be greater?
Sebastian Gawlik: HCV can be found in poorly secured aesthetic medicine offices, dental offices, and tattoo studios. Infections also happen in hospitals, but not as often as they used to be. It is estimated that up to 91 percent. Poles may have had contact with the virus.
Urszula Jaworska: Going to all these places, let’s pay attention to whether the tools used for our service are disposable or sterilized. One can directly ask if they sterilize. This is our health. If we are ashamed and do not take care of it, we can get into trouble ourselves.
- In a tattoo parlor, dentist, hospital, beautician – where we can get infected with HCV
Are there higher risk professions?
Sebastian Gawlik: Such groups are, for example, uniformed services – soldiers, policemen. These people come into contact with various “social factors”, there is often a risk of jostling, the use of force, and therefore uncontrolled contact with blood.
Hence the idea to conduct tests in prisons and educational institutions?
Urszula Jaworska: Worldwide data say that in these places there is a greater risk of infection and accumulation of hepatitis C – 7 to 10 percent, while usually it is a maximum of 2 percent. At the moment, we have examined educational establishments – they are in the population statistics. We are currently examining employees in the prison service.
When we are not threatened with HCV – in what situations can we feel safe? Let’s debunk the myths
Sebastian Gawlik: Normal interpersonal contacts, kissing, cuddling, using the same toilet or bathtub are safe. We won’t get infected by sneezing or coughing. Even having sex with the same partner when we use protection is not risky.
What does the HCV test look like – is there anything to be concerned about?
Sebastian Gawlik: This is a normal blood donation. We get the result after a few days. There are also so-called cassette tests – can be performed for free during many educational activities. A drop of blood is taken from the finger and the result is obtained after 10-15 minutes. However, such a test is not a typical diagnostic test, it only gives a hint. Therefore, the result must be confirmed by performing a complete test.
Unfortunately, the test itself is not free – the Primary Healthcare benefits package still does not include it. Why?
Urszula Jaworska: If you don’t know what’s going on, it’s about money. This would be another GP-funded study. The cost of the HCV test is approx. PLN 50-60, but it can be performed for free during many actions – it is worth remembering. The second important thing – I am of the opinion that testing every human being is pointless – we need to target screening for risk groups and they should have a free HCV test. Our current campaign of testing in prisons and education institutions alludes to this.
- HBsAg – detects hepatitis B infection
If it turns out that we have HCV – what to do then?
Sebastian Gawlik: First of all, don’t panic – the disease can be cured and it takes two or three months. The procedure is such that the positive patient goes to his family doctor, who issues him a referral to a hepatology clinic or an infectious disease hospital, and further diagnostics is carried out there.
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Meanwhile, in Poland, hepatitis C therapy is not only free, but also at the highest global level. The patient has access to the most modern therapies.
Sebastian Gawlik: We are in a great moment – now it is possible to cure almost every case in two or three months, without side effects. It’s actually just swallowing pills. Even 10-12 years ago, treatments lasted up to 1,5 years. And the effectiveness of treatment was on the level of approx. 40-60 percent. and it had huge side effects. For example, I was on sick leave for 1,5 months because I didn’t have the strength to get out of bed. Currently, hepatitis C is one of the few diseases in which the patient has such luxury when it comes to treatment.
So we have undergone a revolution in the treatment of hepatitis C. And how has the perception of this disease changed over the decade?
Sebastian Gawlik: Although very slowly, awareness of hepatitis C is growing. There is also a growing interest, for example, among beauty salons.
Urszula Jaworska: The thing about education is that it is wave-like. Successive generations must be educated all the time, and those who once learned must be constantly reminded of it. It’s just like the coronavirus. At first there was panic, now everything has relaxed. In my opinion, the relaxation of restrictions should not release us from responsibility for our own health and that of others. This is our main mistake – if we are allowed more, it means that the virus has passed. Unfortunately, this is not the case. He is and will be. Same as HCV. And we expose ourselves to the virus – the lack of responsibility. What is happening now with the coronavirus and other infectious diseases is precisely the aftermath of our irresponsibility. Remember, we don’t live in emptiness but among other people.
Sebastian Gawlik: I agree on that.
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