Swine Flu Treatments
Basic Treatments for Swine Flu
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of the antiviral drug Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) and Relenza (Zanamivir) for the treatment of swine flu.
But the majority of people that have so far been infected with swine flu make a full recovery without the need of any kind of antiviral drug or even medical attention.
Using antiviral drugs to treat swine flu makes the symptoms of the disease milder and patients often recover faster under medication. But most importantly antiviral drugs can help prevent serious swine flu complications, so they are very important for those people that are vulnerable from the effects of influenza.
But how do antiviral drugs work?
The influenza virus does its damage within living cells by producing a protein neuramindase. This protein helps the virus escape the cell in the body.Some antiviral medications like Tamiflu works by blocking the action of neuroamindase, obstructing the flu virus’s ability to spread from one cell to the other.
Drugs like Tamiflu however, has to be taken early (the first two days) in the course of an infection for it to work effectively.
About Tamiflu
Tamiflu (sometimes called Oseltamivir phosphate) is manufactured as 75mg oral tablets by Roche Pharmaceuticals. Roche currently hold the license for Tamiflu and they are the only manufacturers of the drug.
Due to the complex and difficult nature of its production there is a limited global supply of Tamiflu.
It can normally only be obtained through a medical prescription given by a doctor or a health specialist. But due to the onset of swine flu, demand is such that it can now be bought without prescription. The most common means of obtaining Tamiflu is through the internet, though, most vendors often sell the drug at extremely inflated prices.