What should you know about influenza virus treatment?

Treatment depends on symptom severity, how long symptoms have been present, and your health history. Supportive care helps the body recover while the immune response clears the virus. Antiviral medicine may be considered by a clinician, particularly for severe illness or people with pregnancy, chronic disease, or reduced immunity. Antibiotics are not a treatment for influenza unless a clinician identifies a separate bacterial infection.

Rest and take frequent drinks to reduce dehydration. Use fever or pain medicine only as directed and check combination cold products to avoid taking the same ingredient twice. Keep air moving indoors, wash hands, cover coughs, and limit close contact while you are feverish or significantly unwell. Record when symptoms began and whether they are improving.

Seek emergency help for trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, collapse, severe dehydration, or blue or grey lips. Contact a clinician quickly if symptoms are worsening, fever returns after improvement, or you are medically vulnerable. Pneumonia can complicate influenza, so a worsening cough with breathlessness deserves assessment.

Ask whether antiviral medicine is suitable, which symptom medicines fit your other treatments, and how long to isolate from close contacts. Tell the clinician about fever, chills, cough, fatigue, headache, and the exact time symptoms started.