Antiviral Drugs for Flu

From the CDC:

Flu Treatment
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/treatment/index.html

If you get sick with flu, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option.

Check with your doctor promptly if you are at high risk of serious flu complications and you get flu symptoms. People at high risk of flu complications include young children, adults 65 years of age and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

When used for treatment, antiviral drugs can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by 1 or 2 days. They also can prevent serious flu complications, like pneumonia. For people at high risk of serious flu complications, treatment with antiviral drugs can mean the difference between milder or more serious illness possibly resulting in a hospital stay.

This page provides basic information about antiviral drugs and treating flu illness. ---CONTINUED---

What You Should Know About Flu Antiviral Drugs
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/antivirals/whatyoushould.htm

Can the flu be treated?

Yes. There are prescription medications called “antiviral drugs” that can be used to treat flu illness.

What are antiviral drugs?

Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid, an inhaled powder, or an intravenous solution) that fight against the flu virus in your body. Antiviral drugs are not sold over-the-counter. You can only get them if you have a prescription from your doctor or health care provider. Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics, which fight against bacterial infections.

Should You Use Antiviral Medications for the Flu?
https://www.verywellhealth.com/antiviral-flu-medications-770608



Antiviral medications are a class of drugs that are typically used to prevent or shorten the duration of the influenza virus. They are considered the second line of defense against the flu.

Five different antiviral medications are currently approved for use in the United States. They include Tamiflu (oseltamivir), Relenza (zanamivir), Rapivab (Peramivir), amantadine, and rimantadine. However, the flu viruses that make people sick are extremely resistant to amantadine and rimantadine, so these two medications are not recommended to prevent or treat influenza at this time. ---CONTINUED---