Farber recommends that you discuss with your doctor whether antiviral therapy is advisable if you have come into close contact with a
flu patient.
It can be difficult to distinguish the
flu from other viral or bacterial infections of the respiratory system.
Doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, therapists and other health professionals working on the frontline are more likely to be exposed to the
flu virus - figures show that up to one in four healthcare workers may become infected during a mild
flu season.
The safety and efficacy of XOFLUZA in children with the
flu under the age of one is also being studied in the global Phase III MINISTONE-1 study (NCT03653364).
Cold and
flu are sometimes difficult to tell apart, but they are two distinct conditions.
The health official warned that the
flu virus could be fatal to humans and could bring severe complications, therefore several steps must be taken to avoid its spread, like covering one's mouth when coughing or sneezing.
The
flu vaccine must be taken two to three months before the onset of the
flu season to get the most effective immunity.
"The best way to avoid getting the
flu is to give your body a better chance to fight infection, and that starts with a
flu shot," said Dr.
"Even if you haven't yet been vaccinated and have already gotten sick with
flu, you can still benefit from vaccination since the
flu vaccine protects against three or four different
flu viruses, depending on the type of vaccine you receive," Health Commissioner Dr.
Nationally, the 2017-2018 season was one of the worst and longest
flu seasons on record.
Public health experts say around 15,000 people died from flu-related causes in the UK last year, including complications such as pneumonia arising from an initial
flu infection.