Once infected with HCV there is a typical incubation period of from 5- 7 weeks, although it can be as short as 2 weeks or as long as 6 months. Fever is often not present. Infection with HCV has a much greater propensity to become a chronic infection. A person may have HCV and not even know it. All the while, though, the infection may be gradually destroying their liver.
Some people never get symptoms.
When and if symptoms appear they often include fatigue, jaundice, nausea, abdominal pain, fever, muscle aches and joint pain. The symptoms are often cyclical in nature. Alcohol, stress and ingestion of large amounts of protein can aggravate them. Basically, HCV is detected in the bloodstream. 2- 3 weeks after infection but becomes undetectable at the end of active infection and the beginning of convalescence.