The Next Pandemic

Author
Jeffrey Fried
 
Hepatitis C (HCV) is the next pandemic. 250-300 million people worldwide are carrying the virus. This is 5, five, times the number of people carrying HIV. HCV is the main cause for liver transplants. As of a few years ago, for every 20 people who die of HIV in the US, 11 people die of HCV because they cannot get a liver transplant. And what makes it particularly dangerous is that when contracting HCV the symptoms are usually mild, or none at all, and there are no obvious symptoms until 20 years later when the liver starts to fail. This means that people are giving the disease to other people simply because they don't know that they have it, so, they don't know what they should do to prevent transmitting it to others. Also, the period where most people appear to be without symptoms, is in fact not the case. During that time some people develop related disorders (http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/connection-between-hepatitis-c-autoimmune-disorders) that can be very debilitating.

Currently the only drug therapy, interferon, works about 50% of the time for those who can afford it. It requires loading your body with interferon, the same chemical that your body uses to kill colds, and other viruses, producing the same side effects for 26 to 52 weeks. The cost of the therapy can be prohibitive for people with low income or no health insurance.

Surprisingly the effort needed to protect yourself is relatively simple, its just that most of us are unaware so we don't take any precautions. The story should explain the problem, present current, and emerging therapies, and provide a sense of what the reader should do to ensure that they are not carriers or receivers.

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