There is no need to limit expressions of affection such as hugging or kissing others. During acute infection, there is usually no symptoms. If symptoms do appear they may include abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, yellow discoloring of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and dark colored urine. Most patients with chronic hepatitis C infection have no symptoms in the early stages. The most common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, and right upper abdominal discomfort.
Symptoms are most common in patients who have developed cirrhosis.
The most reliable way to check is through a blood test. The screening test for hepatitis C is the hepatitis C antibody. To confirm that the virus is active, an additional test called a PCR may be performed. This detects hepatitis C viral RNA in the blood. Other tests may be performed such as a genotype study which identifies the type of hepatitis C virus and assists in planning treatment.