Doctors urged to prescribe antiviral drugs for flu patients earlier
At-risk groups should receive antiviral prescriptions quicker, health adviser says
Doctors have been urged to prescribe antiviral drugs to high-risk patients with flu symptoms earlier as five more patients died from the virus yesterday, bringing the death toll this year up to 42.
Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a member of the Centre for Health Protection's scientific committee on infection control, said drugs such as Tamiflu should be offered to infants, pregnant women, elderly people and people with chronic diseases who showed mild sign of infections - even if they were tested free from influenza.
As well as the five deaths, seven more patients have required intensive care, taking that total up to 85. Since Monday, 94 outbreaks in schools and homes for the elderly have been reported, with 246 people getting infected as of yesterday.
"If this trend is going to continue, we might then expect a particularly high peak this season," said Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man, who described the increase in the number of flu cases in the past few days as "drastic".
The high number is fuelled by the fact the flu vaccine being used does not offer sufficient protection against the prevalent strain of flu - a sub-type of H3N2 influenza A - after the World Health Organisation wrongly predicted which strain would prevail.
"Antiviral drugs are most effective if they are prescribed early, especially within 48 hours of showing flu symptoms," Leung said. "It can alleviate the severity of the flu symptoms among high-risk patients and reduce the possibility of them developing deadly complications."