Don't Be Flued

By Christine Gorman

Wayne Knight brings out the hypochondriac in me. You know Knight. He played the obnoxious mailman on Seinfeld, and is Sally's often clueless lover on Third Rock from the Sun. Lately he's been personifying influenza in those commercials for the antiviral drug Relenza. When I see him barging into a hapless woman's home, ready to take up residence, I could swear I'm developing a sore throat. Then when he plops down between the woman and her husband, I start getting that achy feeling in my joints and back. I especially love his sneering crack about soup: "Yeah, that'll do the trick." That's when I know I'm doomed.

Knight is good. Maybe too good. The U.S. is deep in the grip of a flu outbreak. It happens every year, but we keep hearing this one is different. Emergency rooms are jammed to overflowing. Offices are decimated. The I've-been-hit-by-a-dump-truck feeling that is one of the hallmarks of influenza seems to be lasting longer than it ever has before.

Or is it? The epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control keep telling us that this year's outbreak is no worse than last year's--just a little earlier than usual. In fact, we're battling the same strain as in 1999, and the current vaccine is quite effective at preventing it. Could it be that all the media attention is driven, at least in part, by the aggressive advertising campaigns for Relenza and another antiviral drug, Tamiflu, which were only recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration?

Looks like someone at the FDA thinks so. Last week the government agency issued a public-health advisory to remind physicians that Relenza and Tamiflu (as well as two older antiviral drugs) do not cure influenza and should not be viewed as substitutes for standard treatment. Apparently, a few patients died when they developed bacterial infections--a common complication of flu--and were treated solely with antiviral medications, which don't work against bacterial infections and were never meant to. Only antibiotics can tame bacterial infection. In addition, some people with asthma and other lung problems saw their condition worsen while on Relenza, a known side effect that GlaxoWellcome properly flags in its package insert.

Most of the time, the best treatment for flu is to dive under the covers and forget the world for a week. Be sure to alert your doctor, however, if you start having trouble breathing, develop a rattle in your chest or your fever persists. You may be developing pneumonia. Only your doctor can determine whether an antiflu drug is right for you. But remember, the most that Relenza or Tamiflu can do for you is cut your downtime by a day or two--and then only if you take it within 48 hours of the first symptoms.

As the old saying goes, Prevention is the best medicine. If you haven't already been vaccinated, you still have time to get a shot. Definitely consider it if you are over 65 or suffer from chronic diseases of the heart, lungs or kidneys; diabetes; a weakened immune system; or if you live with or care for an elderly person. It'll take two weeks for any appreciable protection to build up, and some areas have already run out of vaccine. In the meantime, wash your hands a lot and pop some vitamin C. It may not keep Mr. Flu from knocking on your door, but it can't hurt.

For more on the flu, visit www.cdc.gov or time.com/personal You can send e-mail for Christine to gorman@time.com