flu

A New Weapon to Fight the Flu

February 18, 2018

The flu season this year has been one for the record books.  It has caused school closings, unprecedented numbers of people in the hospital, and long waits at doctor’s offices.  But, an experimental drug from Japan may change things for next year.  Just this past October, Shionogi & Company from Osaka, Japan, announced that a new drug had promising results.  In more than half the people who tried it, the influenza virus was virtually dead within 24 hours.  Tamiflu, the antiviral you may be familiar with, also killed the virus in 24 hours, but it only worked in about 9% of the participants.  Of course, what works in a lab may not be duplicated out in the “real world,” but there does seem to be interest in what this Japanese company has accomplished.  The official flu season is expected to continue into March, but you can certainly catch it anytime.  As you know, the best defense is washing your hands, eating right, and getting the flu vaccine.