Tamiflu effectiveness questioned again

See this one of nine other articles here at Natural Health News -

BOSTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Researchers in Italy, Australia and the United States want to pin down whether tamiflu is effective against pandemic influenza in otherwise adults.

Tom Jefferson of the Cochrane Collaboration in Rome, Mark Jones of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, doctoral student Peter Doshi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Chris Del Mar, coordinating editor of Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections at Bond University updated a 2005 review of oseltamivir in pandemic influenza.

The public evidence base for this global public health drug -- oseltamivir -- is fragmented and inconsistent, Doshi said.

"Neuraminidase inhibitors -- a class of antiviral drugs targeting influenza A and influenza B -- have modest effectiveness against the symptoms of influenza in otherwise healthy adults. The drugs are effective post-exposure against laboratory confirmed influenza, but this is a small component of influenza-like illness, so for this outcome neuraminidase inhibitors are not effective," the study said.

"Neuraminidase inhibitors might be regarded as optional for reducing the symptoms of seasonal influenza. Paucity of good data has undermined previous findings for oseltamivir's prevention of complications from influenza. Independent randomized trials to resolve these uncertainties are needed."

The Cochrane review is published in the British Medical Journal.

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-  Apr 21, 2003 -  Prof C. Alan Clemetson's 1989 3 volume textbook "Vitamin C" contains a mass of scientific evidence proving how ascorbate could not only prevent but also cure all the then known viral infections, including pneumonia. Unfortunately, this reference source is long out of print and any rare copies exorbitantly expensive.  However, a new 2002 reference book by Thomas Levy MD with 1200 scientific references is available (ISBN 1-4010-6964-9 hardcover or -0 for softback). Levy references many of the earlier pioneers in this field. Notably, Klenner's (1948) first (already cyanotic) case of pneumonia responded within 30 minutes to 2G I/V. Klenner published several papers in the 1950s and others such as Dalton (1962) followed with similar rapid and effective results. Klenner routinely administered 1G ascorbate every hour I/V and with the current easily obtainable vials containing 25G, an I/V infusion in 250ml water or dextrose is within the reach of any competent doctor or nurse. There appears to be no scientific or ethical reason for withholding this highly cost-effective and safe treatment. It would be even more relevant in situations of high stress and/or (endo)toxaemia when ascorbate reserves would be greatly depleted.