Characteristics of the patients with cleared HCV-infection and the comparison cohort.

*: patients could have more than one category of comorbidity, and therefore the sum of the comorbidity-categories is bigger than the sum of patients with comorbidity.**: Patients with HIV were excluded from the study.***: The liver diseases of the CCI were not included in our comorbidity score, as they were considered being part of the causal pathway of mortality.****: 9% ( = 8/(8+85)) of 20–39 year old patients with comorbidity.*****: 15% ( = 41/(41−230)) of 40–69 year old patients with comorbidity.