GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently updated its guidelines for treating influenza patients. These new guidelines are primarily aimed at healthcare providers managing influenza virus infections and will also be useful for policymakers and others involved in epidemic and pandemic preparedness efforts.
Influenza, a common viral disease, affects people globally. Each year, there are approximately a billion cases of seasonal influenza, including 3–5 million cases of severe respiratory illness. Seasonal influenza is linked to an estimated 290,000–650,000 deaths annually from respiratory disease and other complications.
In addition to seasonal strains, animal influenza viruses—particularly avian and swine influenza viruses—can occasionally infect humans. These infections range from mild conjunctivitis to severe pneumonia and can sometimes be fatal. Although current animal influenza viruses do not spread easily from person to person, they still pose a potential pandemic threat in the future.
The updated guidelines offer recommendations on the use of antiviral medications and other treatments, such as steroids for immune system regulation. These guidelines are applicable not only to seasonal influenza viruses but also to potential pandemic influenza viruses and new influenza type A strains that can cause severe illness.
A Guideline Development Group, consisting of experts, clinicians, patients, ethicists, and methodologists, reviewed available data and created these recommendations. They followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to ensure the guidelines are reliable and trustworthy.
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This update is part of WHO’s broader influenza response, which includes the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) and the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) framework. These initiatives aim to address gaps in access to effective medical treatments and other resources needed for influenza management.
