New Flu Strain Going Around

[gromit]

I recently noticed Walmart has a $9.97 single at home test for flu strains a & b, and covid. This seems like an easy way to find out what a sick family member has without them having to go anywhere.

 

[Accident Prone]

There are two medications that are effective in reducing symptoms and preventing complications. Tamiflu, which is now available as a generic, is inexpensive. It is a 5 day course-one 75 mg tablet twice daily. The other one Xofluza, is more effective in reducing infections household exposures by reducing viral shedding more rapidly. It is taken as a single dose. Yes, it is more expensive. Both are best started within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

Wife and toddler have the flu. Newborn and myself do not. I spent some time looking into Xofluza based on your post. Our main concern is keeping the newborn from getting it.

I couldn’t find anything that recommended Xofluza over Tamiflu specifically for the purpose of reducing household spread. Though I was able to find data that shows Xofluza prevents viral shedding significantly faster than Tamiflu as you said in your post.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/suppl/10.1056/NEJMoa1716197/suppl_file/nejmoa1716197_appendix.pdf (figure S6B)

1 day of Xofluza stops viral shedding in half of patients. It takes Tamiflu 3 days to reach that same level. Pretty huge difference between the two!

Really interesting that this aspect isn’t talked about more. All the other benefits of Xofluza over Tamiflu seem very minor.

 

[pacergal]

As a former Public Health RN, I certainly hope that those of you who are symptomatic and out running "errand" are wearing a mask to decrease spread to others.
Off my soap box now.

Good hand hygiene and keeping hand away from face are two of the simplest ways of decreasing your risks of respiratory infections, (along with masks if in crowded areas if you desire)
DH and I still mask up in any medical setting--thats where sick folks are!--and also if we go into a crowded environment.
Having covid, then rebound covid and influenza A back to back to back last winter, was not something I want to repeat. Happened after we went to DGS "Grandparent Day" at his school and one of the few times we chanced not wearing masks

 

[Flieger]

As a former Public Health RN, I certainly hope that those of you who are symptomatic and out running "errand" are wearing a mask to decrease spread to others.
Off my soap box now.

Good hand hygiene and keeping hand away from face are two of the simplest ways of decreasing your risks of respiratory infections, (along with masks if in crowded areas if you desire)
DH and I still mask up in any medical setting--thats where sick folks are!--and also if we go into a crowded environment.
Having covid, then rebound covid and influenza A back to back to back last winter, was not something I want to repeat. Happened after we went to DGS "Grandparent Day" at his school and one of the few times we chanced not wearing masks

I was told by the NP I saw that 48 hours past "fever" I was no longer contagious so adhered to that advice. Even then, I was so lethargic I did not get out hardly at all.

Flieger