Priority for anti-H1N1 drugs for young people?

According to an Italian research group, providing antiviral drugs to the elderly to protect them from infection will not save many people, but the effort to treat younger people is a must.

At the same time, Italian researchers also said that health workers are trying to make the most effective use of antiviral drugs to treat influenza A / H1N1, should perform well and sooner follow-up and treatment.

The stockpile of medicine will be less effective if the patient is not used within the first 24-48 hours, Stefano Merler of the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Trento, Italy and colleagues said.

" Our research also shows the importance of early detection of cases. In fact, greater effort is needed to establish a patient's monitoring and treatment system as soon as possible. Good. Slower in the first 24 hours can make treatment less effective . '

However, the new pandemic flu spread so quickly that the World Health Organization stopped statistics and informed people with the disease. Merler's group said the situation would be better if governments could closely monitor cases and quickly use antiviral drugs.

WHO recommends that antiviral drugs are sufficient to treat 25% of the population (Photo: Bloomberg)

WHO recommends that countries need to store sufficient amounts of antiviral drugs for 25% of the population. These drugs include zanamivir , manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline under license from Biota Inc. and consume with Relenza brand; oseltamivir , manufactured by Roche AG under license from Gilead Sciences and sold under the brand name Tamiflu.

Both of these drugs can reduce the risk of death among people with severe complications from the flu: people who are too old, children, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases . But the drug needed to be used on the first day, at the most, was the second day of illness. Therefore, the role of disease diagnosis is very important.

The two drugs can also be used to prevent infection.

The team claims that some policies require the use of drugs such as preventive agents in nursing homes - where viruses can spread and kill many older people. However, in the context of a pandemic, with high levels of drug demand, this strategy will not save many lives.

" Our research shows that, even in countries where antiviral drugs are not enough to treat 25% of the population as required by WHO, they can reduce the spread of disease as well as billions. mortality by prioritizing drug use by age ', Merler said.

For example, Italy has only enough drugs for 12% of the population. The report of the research team has data from three previous pandemics in 1918, 1957 and 1968. Accordingly, the only way to save many people with a small amount of antiviral drugs is to treat all sufferers. disease and provide preventive medicine for young people.