In a large retrospective cohort study of over one million non-hospitalized patients with influenza, antiviral treatment (including oseltamivir and baloxavir) was associated with significantly lower risks of hospitalization, emergency department visits, intensive care unit admission, and mortality within 30 days compared with no antiviral use. These findings suggest a potential protective benefit of early antiviral therapy even in non-severe cases, although results should be interpreted cautiously given the observational design and potential residual confounding.

Source: BMC Medicine