What is the meaning of "viral load numbers" for hepatitis C?

A viral load number is the number of viral particles in the blood stream during a hepatitis C infection or another viral infection, according to WebMD. An undetectable viral load means that the patient is in remission, while any viral load indicates active infection.

Up to 20 percent of patients naturally clear the hepatitis C virus from their bodies without requiring additional treatment, states WebMD. During diagnosis, a health care professional may choose to test a patient twice, as false negatives are common. This is because a patient's viral load is constantly changing. A patient may test positive for hepatitis C antibodies but have no viral load, meaning that patient is not actually infected.