to be clear there seems to be some reservoir of virus outside the circulation in most if not all patients who achieve SVR based on the finding that patients who are subsequently immunosupressed often relapse this is likely to be purely academic, however, since presumably the immune system keeps the residual virions at bay regardless of how SVR is attained (although equating SVR to cure with non-interferon containing regimens is going to require long term surveillance to prove this point)