How do antiviral medicines work

This allows the viral membrane to fuse with the cell membrane and release the genetic material used in viral replication. Once the virus replicates inside the cell, it may remain dormant for long periods of time or be released immediately and attach to other healthy cells to begin the infection process again.

Many diseases are caused by viruses such as the flu, chicken pox, hepatitis, and HIV. While they differ in symptoms such as fever and weakness, some present no symptoms at all. The potential for recovery depends on the type of virus.

Currently, antiviral therapy is available only for a limited number of infections, including those caused by HIV, herpes, hepatitis B and C, and influenza A and B.

Drug companies and researchers are investigating new and existing antivirals for potential use in treating COVID, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Several countries have approved the use of the drug remdesivir for certain patients. The development of antivirals can be challenging.

Because viruses are parasites that hijack host cell machinery, care must be taken to select drug targets that interfere with viral replication while causing as little harm to healthy host cells as possible. Like vaccines, antivirals must go through a multistep approval process by the U. Peramivir is given once intravenously by a health care provider and is approved for early treatment of flu in people 2 years and older.

Baloxavir is a pill given as a single dose by mouth and is approved for early treatment of flu in people 12 years and older. To treat flu, oseltamivir or inhaled zanamivir are usually prescribed for 5 days, or one dose of intravenous peramivir or oral Baloxavir for 1 day.

Oseltamivir treatment is given to hospitalized patients, and some patients might be treated for more than 5 days. Top of Page. Side effects vary for each medication.

The most common side effects for oseltamivir are nausea and vomiting. Zanamivir can cause bronchospasm, and peramivir can cause diarrhea. Other less common side effects also have been reported. Parents, if your child gets sick with flu, antiviral drugs offer a safe and effective treatment option. Yes, though this varies by medication. Oseltamivir is recommended by CDC for treatment of flu in children beginning from birth and the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP recommends oseltamivir for treatment of flu in children 2 weeks old or older.

Zanamivir is approved for early treatment of flu in people 7 years and older, though it is not recommended for use in children with underlying respiratory disease, including asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Peramivir is recommended for early treatment in people 2 years and older. Baloxavir is approved for early treatment of flu in people 12 years and older. Learn more here. Oral oseltamivir is recommended for treatment of pregnant people with flu because compared to other recommended antiviral medications, it has the most studies available to suggest that it is safe and beneficial during pregnancy.

Baloxavir is not recommended for pregnant people or while breastfeeding, as there are no available efficacy or safety data. Although other people with mild illness who are not at higher risk of flu complications may also be treated early with antiviral drugs by their doctor, most people who are otherwise healthy and not at higher risk for flu complications do not need to be treated with antiviral drugs.

Fact Sheet pdf icon [ KB, 2 Pages]. Fact Sheet pdf icon [ KB, 2 Pages, 8. Joe Bresee describes how to keep from getting seasonal flu and spreading it to others by taking these three steps. To receive weekly email updates about Seasonal Flu, enter your email address:. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Influenza Flu.