Researchers from California claim that prompt treatment with antiviral drugs may improve the chances of survival for children who are critically ill with flu.
The new study, published in Pediatrics, compares the outcomes of treatment for 784 children aged under 18 who were hospitalized in intensive care units in California with confirmed cases of flu between April 3, 2009, and September 30, 2012.
The researchers found that children treated with neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI) drugs - a type of antiviral medication - within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms were less likely to die.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu is a real threat to younger kids, with 20,000 children under the age of 5 being hospitalized because of it each year.
And while they point out that "flu season" timings vary from year to year, they are most likely to peak in January or February in the US, though they may begin as early as October and continue as late as May.
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