Listen to the advice! When the "H1N1" strikes, how should we take medicine and how can we prevent it?

Recently, influenza outbreaks have occurred in many places. The term "influenza A", which seems familiar yet unfamiliar, has become a topic of concern to everyone. There has even been a situation where citizens have been scrambling to stockpile medicines.

According to data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

The pathogens that were positive for testing in outpatient and emergency departments of sentinel hospitals were mainly influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, and rhinovirus;

The main pathogens detected positive in hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection cases were influenza virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and human metapneumovirus.

It can be seen that influenza is one of the most important pathogens in both outpatient and emergency cases and inpatient severe cases. In addition, the influenza virus positive rate is rising rapidly, of which more than 99% are influenza A, and the prevalent strain is mainly A(H1N1)pdm09 subtype.

Image source: China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

So, what are the symptoms of influenza A? How should we choose to take the anti-influenza drugs oseltamivir and mabaloxavir? See the answer↓

7-day course of influenza A and medication chart

Influenza A, or "H1N1", is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza A virus. Influenza viruses are divided into four types: A, B, C, and D. Among them, influenza A is the most contagious and most likely to mutate. Almost every influenza pandemic is caused by influenza A virus.

The main symptoms of influenza A infection are sudden high fever, often with respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, runny nose, accompanied by headache, muscle aches and other general discomfort, and some patients will experience gastrointestinal discomfort.

What is the difference between Mabaloxavir and Oseltamivir?

The main anti-influenza drugs are oseltamivir and mabaloxavir. Many people will ask how to choose between these two drugs?

According to Sun Boyang, a pharmacist at the Department of Pharmacy of Peking University People's Hospital, the mechanism of action of mabaloxavir is different from that of oseltamivir.

Mabaloxavir inhibits the replication of influenza virus, preventing the virus from entering the body; oseltamivir inhibits the release of the virus from infected cells, reducing the spread of the virus.

The elimination half-life of mabaloxavir after a single dose is approximately 79 hours; the half-life of oseltamivir blood concentration decreases is generally 6 to 10 hours.

Mabaloxavir only needs to be given once throughout the entire course of the disease; oseltamivir needs to be taken twice a day for 5 consecutive days.

Mabaloxavir is currently only approved for use in children over 5 years old and weighing more than 20 kg and adults; oseltamivir capsules and granules can be used for children over 1 year old and adults, and the dry suspension is suitable for an even younger age. For young children, the dosage can be calculated according to their weight.

People who meet two conditions can take oseltamivir for a short period of time

Don't rush to stock up on medicine! Medicines cannot replace vaccines. They can only be used as temporary, emergency preventive measures for those who have not been vaccinated or have not yet gained immunity after vaccination.

In layman's terms, it is recommended to use medication for prevention under the guidance of a doctor only if two conditions are met at the same time:

1. Those who are in the high-risk group but have not received influenza vaccine or have received the vaccine less than 2 weeks ago (not yet protected);

2. Have been in contact with someone suspected of having influenza, or have recently been to a public epidemic location.

Oseltamivir can be used as a post-exposure prophylaxis for influenza. It is recommended that it be taken within 48 hours of exposure to the virus.

Oseltamivir preventive medication: Only needs to be taken once a day for 7 consecutive days, and the medication can be stopped if there are no symptoms (the incubation period of influenza is usually no more than 7 days).

If flu-like symptoms occur within 7 days, you can be given a flu treatment regimen, which is twice a day.

Can I eat it regularly to prevent it?

Anxious friends may say, I don’t know if I have been in contact with people with influenza. The influenza is still very serious now. Can I take it regularly to prevent it?

Not recommended.

There are three reasons:

The main side effects of oseltamivir are gastrointestinal discomfort symptoms such as vomiting and nausea, with an incidence of about 15%. To prevent this, the drug must be taken for 7 consecutive days;

Oseltamivir has a preventive effect only during the period of taking the drug. After stopping the drug, the body has no antibodies and there is still a possibility of infection;

If the flu epidemic continues for another two months, should we continue to take the drug for two months? Taking oseltamivir indiscriminately for treatment or prevention may lead to drug resistance.

Listen to my advice and stop blindly hoarding medicine! Oseltamivir is only a temporary, emergency preventive measure. The core measure to prevent influenza is to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

How is influenza A different from the common cold?

Common cold

It is caused by multiple pathogens such as rhinovirus, has weak infectiousness, and has no obvious seasonal characteristics. Symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, etc., usually without fever or only low fever, and no systemic symptoms. It can heal itself in 5-7 days, and complications rarely occur.

Influenza A

It is highly contagious, prone to widespread spread, and has obvious seasonal characteristics. Patients experience high fever, headache, fatigue, and body muscle aches. Influenza A is self-limiting to a certain extent, but it is easy to cause other complications, including pneumonia, otitis media, myocarditis, meningitis and other serious complications.

Beware of febrile seizures in children infected with

In the early stages of influenza A, high fever is often seen, which can easily induce febrile seizures in young children. Wang Quan, chief physician at Beijing Children's Hospital, said that febrile seizures are a common complication of fever in children, more common in children aged 6 months to 5 years, and often occur within the first 24 hours of a child's fever.

Once a febrile seizure occurs, parents should immediately place the child in a safe, flat place and pay attention to the following:

First, do not put anything into the child's mouth, including spoons, chopsticks, adult fingers, etc.;

Second, do not feed the patient antipyretic drugs, or anything else including water or medicine;

Third, do not try to restrain your child's limbs to avoid causing injury.

When children are infected with influenza, antiviral and symptomatic treatment is mainly adopted. Currently, there are special anti-influenza virus drugs available for children, which should be used as soon as possible under the guidance of a doctor, especially within 48 hours of onset. Symptomatic treatment is mainly to reduce fever and relieve discomfort. Parents can choose and regulate the use of antipyretics according to the age and weight of their children. They can also use some drugs to relieve symptoms such as cough and nasal congestion.

In addition, Wang Quan specifically reminded that when giving children compound cold medicines and antipyretic and analgesic ingredients at the same time, be sure to read the instructions carefully and check whether there is any overlap in the drug ingredients to avoid drug overdose.

What should I do if someone with influenza appears in my home?

1. Patients are advised to rest at home. Try to live in a single room, keep the room ventilated, and reduce the chance of contact with co-residents.

2. Patients need to pay attention to personal hygiene. Maintain good respiratory hygiene habits and cover their mouths and noses with tissues or towels when coughing or sneezing.

3. Closely observe the health status of patients and family members. If patients or other family members have persistent high fever, accompanied by severe cough, breathing difficulties, mental changes, severe vomiting and diarrhea, etc., they should seek medical attention in time. When patients go to the hospital for treatment, patients and accompanying personnel should wear masks to avoid cross infection.

4. As far as possible, a relatively fixed family member who is not in the high-risk group for influenza should take care of and contact the patient, and a mask should be worn when in close contact with the patient. Family members, especially those in the high-risk group for influenza, should avoid close contact with influenza patients as much as possible.

Source: China CDC, CCTV News, National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing Daily, Dingxiang Doctor