BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas — According to the CDC, around 2.2 million adults are living with Hepatitis C in the United States. Locally, the Brazos County Health Department is trying to combat those numbers here in the area.
“So we are screening for Hepatitis C for the whole month of May for free and when its not May we’ll still be screening for Hepatitis C and it’ll be $10,” said Brazos County Health Department's Nurse Practitioner, Georgette Herring.
Annual screenings are recommended due to the nature of this disease.
“The funny thing about Hepatitis C is that you can be a carrier of Hepatitis C and not be aware of it because you don’t have symptoms, but some symptoms can be nausea, yellowing of the eyes, abdominal swelling,” Herring explained.
However, some residents are more at risk to contract Hepatitis C than others.
“As far as Hep C is concerned, it’s the baby boomers population," said Herring. "75% of Hepatitis C is in that category of individuals and that’s the year of 1945 through 1965 so we do see a lot of individuals in that age group that aren't even aware that they have Hepatitis C.”
There was a 50% increase in reported Hepatitis C cases from 2016 to 2020 and the age range is growing.
“We’re also seeing a rise in Hepatitis C just in general because of the pandemic and increased isolation and drug use and what not so we’re now seeing an increase across the board between ages of 19 and up,” Herring said.