Who's On First

We've been using the canary analogy to describe the early deaths from flu and the coming panedmic. The description has been harsh and scary because to use without the necessary treatment, adequate preparations and limited number of drugs still unavailable in these early stages of the season seemed so. Now comes the World Health Organization (WHO) issuing guidelines from their panel of experts with a policy that removes some, the scariest we would say, worry from the big bad coming flu season.

The new drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir to prevent severe illness and deaths, reduce the need for hospitalization, and reduce the duration of hospital stays) are actual treatments for the swine flu. WHO says: "The pandemic virus is currently susceptible to both of these drugs (known as neuraminidase inhibitors), but resistant to a second class of antivirals (the M2 inhibitors)."

"Worldwide, most patients infected with the pandemic virus continue to experience typical influenza symptoms and fully recover within a week, even without any form of medical treatment. Healthy patients with uncomplicated illness need not be treated with antivirals. On an individual patient basis, initial treatment decisions should be based on clinical assessment and knowledge about the presence of the virus in the community."

This is incredible news. Normally your physician would say that IF you were infected it was too late for the shot to prevent or immunize yourself. These new medicines appear to be able to do what other drugs haven't or couldn't do. Now if only the guidelines are adapted by the CDC the pandemic won't be the disaster to health and resources it's predicted to be. Here's to keeping our candles lit, fingers crossed and knees bent!