grass roots - the common people at a local level (as distinguished from the centers of political activity) plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one
1 A hepatitis C virus test. 2  This is a blood test that looks for antibodies against the hepatitis C virus. 3  It shows whether you have been exposed to the virus. 4  A rapid test is available that gives results in 20 minutes. 5  A blood test that looks for the genetic material (RNA) of the hepatitis C virus.
Initial testing for hepatitis C has three parts. The first test, the HCV antibody test, sees if you have been exposed to the virus. The second test is the viral load test, and it detects whether you were merely exposed or if you actually have hep C. If that test is positive, then a genotype test is done to find out what kind of hep C you have. HCV Antibody Testing: Diagnosing hepatitis C begins with an antibody test.