All the world's a lab

• Published in: International herald tribune
• Main Authors: Meyerhoff, Andrea, Lietman, Paul
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris New York Times Company 21.05.2009
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: BALTIMORE
• ISSN: 0294-8052

One of these is how soon the drugs must be used to keep flu from spreading. One clinical trial conducted by the maker of Tamiflu looked at what happened when people in the household of a flu patient were given the drug within two days of the patient's symptoms. Only 1 percent of them caught the flu. This was a significant amount of protection; when people in other flu households were given a placebo, 12 percent got the flu. Another important question is how well the drugs can work to save lives. In clinical trials conducted by the manufacturer, Tamiflu was shown to shorten the time in which influenza patients have symptoms like fever, headache, cough, muscle ache and fatigue. Patients who received the drug felt ill for 1.3 fewer days than those who received a placebo did. But it would be good to know more about what both Tamiflu and Relenza can do for patients with the new H1N1 flu, for which we have as yet no vaccine. As the cases increase, it becomes easier to assess whether the drugs reduce complications like post-influenza pneumonia, hospitalizations and fatalities.