Tamiflu Cuts H1N1 Swine Flu Deaths In Half Vs. No Intervention
Tamiflu Cuts H1N1 Swine Flu Deaths In Half Vs. No Intervention
Treating the H1N1 novel influenza A Virus or Swine Flu using generic tamiflu and for chemoprophylaxis for those people in contact with infected patients is a most economical tactic for thwarting illness and fatalities in a pandemic of influenza. Research conducted by a Canadian University stated that utilizing supplies of generic tamiflu in enough quantities to treat sixty five percent of a population can potentially slash fatalities by fifty percent.
The facts are that national warehoused quantities of generic tamiflu are destined for treating infected patients only rather than targeting treatment and prophylactic care. Some nations are now considering plans for stockpiling enough generic tamiflu to aid in treatment as well as providing drug intervention to those who have made contact with individuals who already have the contagion.
This study looked carefully at models of research showing how cost-effective it would be to decrease the transmission of novel influenza A by utilizing generic tamiflu in a preventative prophylactic manner. The research displayed how treating pandemic influenza in this way would not only reduce risk but save money in an effectual manner by lowering the overall impact of an outbreak on society. This study combined with other previously analyzed data showed that using generic tamiflu in a prevention strategy would greatly assist in controlling a virulent infection incidence.
The impact from an influenza outbreak could be reduced even further if the generic tamiflu stockpiles were increased by an unlimited amount. Patients who were treated as soon as they became symptomatic as well as infection prevention when individuals are exposed to infection whether at school or work or via familial contact, could reduce illness rates by more than half by comparison to no intervention at all. The money saved woul amount to about $70,000.00 per one thousand people saving some twenty one billion dollars in the United States on its own!
Including further tactics to combat influenza like closing down schools will decrease the number of fatalities and present health cost benefits to boot. Having a vaccination program in place before an outbreak hits hard would also be vital in flu control depending on how effectual the vaccine was at diminishing illness.
The WHO is strongly advising nations to use generic tamiflu for the prevention of avian influenza for people in contact with infected individuals or even suspected of having the illness and research shows that such a strategy may also be a viable tactic in the event of an H1N1 pandemic outbreak. This is even more practical given that the vaccine could be delayed and insufficient in quantity and initial potency in the first wave of outbreak.
Prophylaxis with antivirals or vaccines
Ideally, vaccination against influenza would be the best method of prevention. In the initial stages of a pandemic however there are usually limited – if any – amounts of vaccine available and that which is used may not have the full matching characteristics to the infectious strain. Production of a vaccine will only be able to start once the correct variety of virus is established. It usually takes months for a vaccine to be developed and so the initial months of a pandemic are vulnerable times. Given these factors the use of antiviral medications such as generic tamiflu and relenza are more important than ever to ease the burgeoning growth of pandemic influenza.
Having a solid plan in place is imperative when the state of global health is so uncertain and knowing an adequate supply of antivirals like generic tamiflu are in place relieves anxiety levels. Generic tamiflu is a known virus inhibitor that has proven effectual aganst varying types of influenza. Having tamiflu stockpiles at adequate levels when an outbreak occurs is crucial to early influenza defense. Health organizations the world over must decide if these generic tamiflu stocks should be used to treat influenza or act as a prophylaxis.
How The Study Worked
The premise of the research study was to look at the possible health results and cost effectiveness on society when using tactical methods of mitigating pandemic influenza on community and populations in America. Using a population of 1,632,000 persons and the average household demographics based on an earlier census, the study looked at no intervening measures with sixteen singular and combined tactical approaches for intervention which included using tamiflu as a prophylaxis after exposure, treating influenza with generic tamiflu as well as prior to vaccination before a pandemic outbreak with fractionally dynamic vaccine; and the closing of schools.
Assumptions were made regarding the amount of tamiflu available studying quantities for twenty five percent of the population through to limitless amounts of generic tamiflu for therapeutic treatment and prophylaxis. The representation also made consideration for the possible effects of both generic tamiflu and vaccines in lowering death rates and the presence of illness in a time of vigorous pandemic. The number of cases of illness was lowered from five hundred cases per one thousand people and no intervening measures to two hundred and thirty bouts of flu per one thousand persons using generic tamiflu as a pre exposure prophylaxis. Fatalities also dropped from 13 per one thousand to 5 per thousand people. The manufacturer of tamiflu [oseltamivir] provided the funding for the comprehensive research.
More About An influenza Pandemic
When a pandemic of influenza takes place it is caused by a new strain of influenza A emerging and the world’s population is left vulnerable because no immunity yet exists and the outcome is concurrent epidemics breaking out around the world resulting in large numbers of fatalities and sickness. The world’s worst pandemics thus far were the Spanish flu A H1N1 in 1918 – 1919 which caused more than thirty million deaths globally, Asian flu A H2N2 in 1957-1958 resulting in one million fatalities around the globe, Hong Kong flu A H3N2 in 1968 which had an outcome of eight hundred thousand people dying in only six weeks around the world.
The World Health Organization believes we are in a pandemic phase now and in under the worst threat in thirty seven years, having met the prerequisites needed to classify novel influenza A H1N1 a Pandemic and avian influenza in south east Asia meeting two of three conditions of a pandemic; a new virus has emerged and it has spread to the human population. H1N1 has met those requisites and capped it off by qualifying under widespread human infection or pervasive human to human transmission.
More About Generic Tamiflu
Generic tamiflu was produced as an overall active antiviral against which acted against any and all influenza varieties by thwarting the action of the neuraminidase [NA] enzyme on the membrane surface of the virus. When the NA enzyme is blocked it can no longer reproduce to additional cells in the human system. It is approved and dispensed as a treatment and preventative medication against influenza in kids above one year old and adults.
A Review Of Pandemics and Epidemics
As influenza viruses go influenza A is the most vigorous and worrisome type having become associated with most epidemics and pandemics over the years.
Influenza epidemics are happening nearly every year but each varies in intensity and depth and pandemics –which are basically global epidemics – happen in ten to forty year time spans and can touch nearly fifty percent of humanity.
In the last one hundred years the most severe influenza pandemic outbreaks were:
- Spanish influenza A H1N1 – 1918 1919 post world war 1 – over thirty million fatalities globally
- Asian influenza A H2N2 – 1957 1958 –one million deaths globally
- Hong Kong Influenza A H3N2 – 1968 1969 – eight hundred thousand global fatalities in six weeks