With cases of the flu on the rise, we asked experts what you need to know about an antiviral medication that can ease symptoms. The flu is raging across the United States — and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expect cases will remain high over the next few weeks.
“It’s out of control,” said Dr. Sean Liu, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The C.D.C. estimates that there have been at least 12 million flu infections so far this season, leading to 160,000 hospitalizations and 6,600 deaths.
Doctors frequently prescribe Tamiflu, an antiviral medication, to people who are at high risk of becoming seriously ill from the flu. The drug can ease symptoms and help people recover a bit faster. But there’s a catch: The medication works best if people take it soon after they feel sick, and it can be tricky to decipher whether a pesky cough or sneeze is the flu or another virus.