Flu Medicines Actually Help Spread Viruses More Rapidly – Study

A new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B has found that flu medications can actually help spread the influenza viruses more rapidly from one person to another.

This is because of the ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol, a fever-reducing ingredient found in most flu medications. While it does counter the fever, the research noted that fever is the lone indicator that an infection is ongoing inside the body. Taking medications suppresses the fever but not the infection.

Over-the-counter flu medications work to bring down fever. They deliver relief from the aches and pains that typically accompany the flu, but not immediately suppress the infection.

"When they have flu, people often take medication that reduces their fever. No one likes to feel miserable, but it turns out that our comfort might be at the cost of infecting others," David Earn, study author and a researcher from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research (IIDR) at McMaster University in Canada, said.

People without thought opt to take fever-reducing drugs so they can go to work or school. But Mr Earn said that while this helps the sick person carry on with his usual routine, it can jeopardise the health of the people around him.

"Because fever can actually help lower the amount of virus in a sick person's body and reduce the chance of transmitting disease to others, taking drugs that reduce fever can increase transmission."

The research found that rampant use of fever-reducing medication helped increase by 5 per cent the number of cases of seasonal flu in the United States.

"They may think the risk of infecting others is lower because the fever is lower. In fact, the opposite may be true: the ill people may give off more virus because fever has been reduced," Mr Earn said.

Doctor David Price, professor and chair of family medicine for McMaster's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, agreed with the findings. He said fever is a body's natural "defence mechanism" to protect itself and others.

"Fever-reducing medication should only be taken to take the edge off the discomfort, not to allow people to go out into the community when they should still stay home.