Tamiflu May Help Survival Rate

    This is from H5N1, gives me some hope. Don't throw out that Tamiflu!

Tamiflu seems to improve odds of survival
Via IT.News.it: Reports of Increased Survival in Bird Flu Patients Taking Tamiflu. Excerpt:

In Indonesia, of the total of 119 H5N1 human cases reported, 22 survived - an 18 percent survival rate overall. Of these, 33 patients received no Tamiflu, all of whom died.

Tamiflu was administered to 86 patients with a 26 percent survival rate overall. Time from onset of illness to initiation of treatment appeared to influence survival.

Of the 2 patients who received Tamiflu within 24 hours of illness onset both survived. 55 percent survived if given the drug within four days (6/11), and 35 percent survived if given Tamiflu within six days (13/37). The survival rate of those receiving it later than 6 days after illness onset was 18 percent (9/49)

Recent information on 8 Vietnamese patients infected with H5N1, was also presented. All 8 patients received Tamiflu. However, all 8 patients presented to the hospital later than 5 days after onset of illness. Only 3 of the 8 patients survived reinforcing that treatment benefit is reduced for patients that receive the drug later in the course of illness.

In 2 patients who were unable to take the drug orally due to the severity of their illness physicians administered the drug by nasogastric tube and found it was well absorbed and there was a reduction in H5N1 virus in these patients.