Additional recommendations in the advisory include:
- Encourage all patients who have not yet received a vaccine to do so for those at least six months old.
- Encourage anyone suspected of having the virus to seek care quickly to determine if antiviral medications are necessary.
- Do not wait for laboratory confirmation of flu virus to begin treatment.
- The CDC’s guidelines for antiviral use from prior seasons remain the same and are found here.
- Clinical benefit of antibiotic treatment is greatest when initiated within 48 hours of symptom onset, but should be started as quickly as possible.
- Using best clinical judgment, antiviral treatment may be considered in symptomatic patients suspected to carry the illness who were previously healthy.
- Although vaccination is the best prevention method for flu, vaccination history does not rule out infection in patients displaying symptoms associated with the virus.
More articles on infection control:
CDC report: Flu visits above national baseline, but mild week overall
Study reveals considerable rise in probiotic use in US hospitals
10 most-read infection control stories in January
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