Medications that Reduce Fever may also Increase Risk of Influenza

A recent study suggests that those who take fever-reducing medications may actually be at a higher risk for contracting influenza. Background information from the study notes that taking pills to even control flu-induced fevers may release more of the flu virus in the environment and potentially increase the flu mortality rate. 

"The (message) of this paper is not, 'Don't take anti-pyretics.' That's not what we're saying," said study leader David Earn, an applied mathematician at Canada's McMaster University. "[But] if you're taking those drugs, there's an effect on the rest of the population that you should be aware of."

For the study, researchers calculated that people who take anti-pyrectics--otherwise known as anti-fever drugs--may increase the total number of influenza cases by up to five percent per year. This equivalent is an additional 1,000 deaths in the United States due to a garden-variety flu strain.

"Don't go to work or school because you think you're feeling better. You might spread (the virus) less if you didn't make yourself feel better and you stayed in bed with a high fever," Earn added according to USA Today. "I think most people would imagine that if they feel better, they're probably less likely to infect other people. One effect is you will become more infectious. ... So even if you feel better and feel like interacting with people, you probably shouldn't."

However, researchers note that study findings were based primarily on hypothetical numbers, and thus, more evidence is need to conclude whether a solid relationship between medications and flu-transmission can be formed.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the British Journal, the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.