CDC Study Shows Early Flu Antiviral Treatment Decreases Risk of Death

August 30, 2024 - A new CDC study suggests that starting antiviral treatment early reduces the risk of death in adults hospitalized with flu. The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, looked at data for more than 26,000 patients collected over seven flu seasons (2012-2019) by the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET), a population-based surveillance network sponsored by CDC.

Patients studied were admitted to the hospital with severe flu including a diagnosis of pneumonia. Nearly all patients included in the study (>99%) were treated with oseltamivir. The researchers evaluated three treatment groups based on when antiviral treatment was begun relative to hospital admission date (day 0, day 1, days 2-5). They found that patients who were started on antiviral treatment on days 2-5 were 40% more likely to die within 30 days of hospital admission compared with those whose treatment was begun on the day of hospital admission (day 0). They also found that every additional day that antiviral treatment was delayed was associated with a greater percentage of patients who experienced other severe clinical outcomes, such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission and need for advanced breathing support (invasive mechanical ventilation). The findings support the recommendation by CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) to start flu antiviral treatment as soon as possible for patients hospitalized with suspected or confirmed influenza.

The results of this study are consistent with other published studies, including a 2016 meta-analysis of observational studies co-authored by CDC researchers that showed that early antiviral treatment versus later treatment in patients hospitalized with influenza-related pneumonia reduced the likelihood of death and the need for breathing support.

Antivirals are prescription medicines that fight flu viruses in the human body. Flu antiviral medications are an important adjunct to vaccination but are not a substitute for getting an annual flu vaccine. Treatment with flu antiviral medications works best when started within two days after flu symptoms begin. There are four licensed and recommended influenza antiviral drugs. Your doctor can determine whether you need testing or treatment and, if so, which one of the four FDA-approved flu antivirals would work best for you.

Learn more at What are Flu Antiviral Drugs | CDC.