How would antivirals be used?

Bruce Gellin
Director
National Vaccine Program:

An antiviral is a drug.  This drug is used, primarily, to treat people who are already sick.

In some situations, these drugs can be used to people who’ve been exposed to the virus before they get sick. The antivirals that we have, have been tested and approved for use in seasonal influenza.  Because the antivirals have some activity against influenza viruses, there is the hope that they might work against the H5N1.  Studies are going on now to determine whether or not the antivirals that we have do work against this virus.