Should I get her tested for influenza?

[Anonymous]

DD5 has had a fever since Wednesday morning, is dead tired (I mean, my child asking to go to bed?? Haha), and is just today starting to develop a cough. She had that stomach bug that's been going around about a month ago and was out of school for almost a week. She's been out of school half of this week, too. Just wondering if I should take her to get the flu swab or not.

[Anonymous]

If you are wanting to test to see if she qualifies for antiviral medication, the CDC recommendations are to treat within the first 48 hours of symptoms, unless there are special risk factors. That is because Tamiflu/Oseltamivir inhibits the replication of the virus, and given the sharp exponential upswing of viral replication within the first 48 hours, you typically don't get much benefit after that.

The exception is that the treatment can prevent the more dangerous sequelae in those with risk factors (asthma, heart disease, <2yrs old (IIRC), etc) even after 48 hours, but it doesn't help much for others at that point.

[Anonymous]

No. As pp said, you're out of the tamiflu window assuming it started Wednesday with a fever. They can't do anything for her now and you'd potentially spread it to other families. Stay home please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. As pp said, you're out of the tamiflu window assuming it started Wednesday with a fever. They can't do anything for her now and you'd potentially spread it to other families. Stay home please.

This.