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In 2019, according to the Public Opinion Foundation, only 57% of Russians trust doctors. I must say that this trend has been observed for quite a long time, and it is associated with several factors:
The current problems of domestic healthcare: queues, the difficulty of getting an appointment promptly, especially when it comes to a specialist with a narrow profile, as well as the short time allotted for seeing a patient, of course, do not add to the desire of citizens to visit medical institutions.
Active “inclusion” of the population in the Internet community. Availability and convenience of online services, including medical topics.
Therefore, more and more often, a sick person, instead of visiting a doctor, a qualified specialist, follows a deceptively easy path – typing a diagnosis or a drug in a search box on the Internet and making a decision on his own. And the media, for their part, use sensitive health topics as a way to increase the ratings of their TV programs and websites.
Do you remember any “information” waves on the topic of medicine? Let us recall some of them: “Vaccinations are not necessary”, “Treat influenza and SARS is not required until acute symptoms appear”, “Interferons do not cure”. In this article, we will touch on the last topic from this far from complete list.
Source: shutterstock.com
Interferon Wars
Some time ago, the topic of interferons was actively discussed on TV and in other media. The structure of the campaign was very reminiscent of the measles vaccination hype that took place more than 2 years ago, as a result of which many Russian women now refused to give these vaccinations to their children. The ideology of the anti-vaccine wave was the same: they don’t do it in the West. They do not provide benefits. What do we see as a result?
The incidence of measles in 2018 increased by 2017 times compared to 3,5! According to the National Scientific and Methodological Center for the Surveillance of Measles and Rubella of the Russian Federation.
Regarding the “positive” Western experience: last year more than 41 people were infected in Europe, and 32 people died. Deaths due to measles have been periodically reported in Romania, Italy, Greece, France and Portugal. Europe has not seen such a number of measles cases in 20 years, according to the World Health Organization.
Now let’s move on to interferon preparations, which have become the next active topic of information wars. Wouldn’t refusing to use them lead to similar results? An increase in the incidence, including SARS and influenza? Let’s figure it out.
Interferon. WHO approved
Interferon was discovered in 1958, that is, more than 60 years ago, in London. Already 5 years after the discovery, it was included in the WHO (World Health Organization) list of medicines. The WHO has defined interferon as “a protein capable of preventing infection of healthy/uninfected cells”. In the international drug classification, interferon alfa-2b, which is used in most drugs based on interferon (“ferons”), is assigned the code L03AB05.
Is it worth it after that to say that drugs based on interferon are not recognized abroad? Agree, hardly.
World Health Organization
Source: regnum.ru
Regarding the experience of use in the West, let’s look at open sources: for example, in the journal “Molecular Medicine” (EMBO Molecular Medicine) in 2001, a study was published that confirmed that antiviral IFNs can be used in the treatment of asthma caused by a virus1. China – studies on the use of interferon in papillomavirus infection (Efficacy and safety of combined high-dose interferon and red light therapy for the treatment of human papillomavirus and associated vaginitis and cervicitis, Medicine, 2018, China). We will not lengthen the list, we will only note that it includes the UK, Japan, America and European countries.
1 E.K. Miller, Z. Hernandez, V. Wimmenauer, B.E. Shepherd [et al.] /// A mechanistic role for type IIIIFN-X1 in asthma exacerbations mediated by human rhinoviruses // Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. – 2012. – Vol. 185. – №5. – P. 508–516.
What the Facts Say
Russia has no less experience in the study and use of interferons. Here our scientists have something to be proud of. Almost simultaneously with the West in the USSR, they began to work on the possibility of using the unique features of this protein to treat people. A key role was played in this research institute. Gamaleya, where, under the guidance of the scientist virologist and immunologist Academician V.D. Solovyov, a special laboratory was created to study it.
The work of Russian scientists to create drugs based on interferon in 2001 and 2012 was awarded the Russian government prize “For achievements in science and technology.”
What will happen if not treated?
According to statistics, one billion cases of influenza are observed annually, of which three to five million are severe. Also recorded from 290 thousand to 650 thousand deaths associated with this disease. The first risk group includes children, pregnant women and the elderly. Not all antiviral drugs are approved for use in children, especially in infancy. Some interferon preparations, fortunately, are an exception to this rule. Not all companies are ready to invest in research and spend many years to get certified, since drugs for this group of patients are tested especially carefully.
The lack of timely treatment and the expectation of parents, while the temperature is at around 38 for several days, will subside itself – the shortest path to complications and a severe course of the disease.
Is it possible not to treat influenza and SARS? SARS – it is possible if a person is absolutely healthy. But not treating the flu is extremely dangerous. Well, let’s suppose that you decided without diagnostics: that the child has ARVI and turned on the scheme “let the body handle itself.” Do you know how many healthy children there are in Russia according to Rosstat? No more than 11%! Is it worth experimenting with the health of your own child and denying him treatment, thereby increasing the likelihood of complications and a severe course of the disease? Is it worth ignoring the recommendations of doctors on taking antiviral drugs in the early stages of the disease?
Source: babycenter.com
Effects of the use of interferons
Have you come across in blogs that interferons are “fuflomycins”, they do not cure? Please note that, as a rule, such discussions are built on emotions and are published in order to develop hype and increase the number of subscribers. In such cases, it is worth turning to the facts. You can search for data on the Internet. But not in blogs, but on official sites.
For example, the website of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, section “Standards of treatment”:
The Ministry of Health of Russia has included interferon in suppositories in more than 30 standards for the provision of medical care for the treatment of various infectious diseases.
Or look at the list of “Vital and essential drugs” (VED), annually approved by the government of the Russian Federation. It includes those medicines, the availability of which is mandatory in pharmacies, they must be available on a daily basis for the treatment of the population. This has included interferon alfa preparations for many years. Including Grippferon, Infagel, as well as Viferon, on the example of which we will consider the evidence base for effectiveness and safety.
Let’s turn to the data of clinical studies. For example, according to the manufacturer Viferon, in the period from 1996 to the present, more than 64 thousand patients have taken part in studies on the drug, among which 10,5 thousand are pregnant women, 38 thousand are children, including newborns. A total of 14 large-scale clinical studies have been conducted on the drug, including double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, confirming its efficacy and safety in the treatment of various diseases.
Is it worth trusting the emotions of hype bloggers and not taking into account facts and figures? The consumer decides, of course.
Treatment of SARS and influenza in children and pregnant women
Here are some more facts about SARS. Respiratory infections (ARVI) are the most common infectious diseases in children. According to WHO, children, the elderly and pregnant women are at risk. They are more likely to develop severe forms of the disease and complications occur. “Hospitalizations and deaths occur mainly in high-risk groups. It is estimated that annual influenza epidemics result in 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness and 290 to 000 deaths from respiratory diseases.
Do you know what drugs are allowed for the treatment of SARS and influenza from 0 years old? What about early pregnancy? There are not many such drugs. Doctors use part of the drugs at their own peril and risk outside the instructions, according to vital indications, in order to alleviate the suffering of a sick child. But there are also proven drugs, there are not many of them, but they are available in Russia. And some have been used in the treatment of these categories of patients for many years. The same Viferon. Let’s look at the registration certificate – it is 1996 on it. That is, it has been used in medicine for more than 20 years.
Rules for choosing a medicine
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that not all drugs are suitable for the treatment of patients who are in the high-risk category. And there are very few such suitable drugs. However, doctors often deviate from the list of safe drugs at their own risk and prescribe others outside the instructions to alleviate the suffering of a sick child.
To understand that the doctor is prescribing the right and safe drug for you, you should also pay attention to how long it has been used to treat this category of patients. For example, during SARS, children are often prescribed Viferon.
We look at research data, pay attention to the effects of application
Let’s look at articles in open sources that describe the use of SARS. As a result of a study published in the article “Viferon in the treatment of influenza and other ARVI of viral and viral-bacterial etiology in children”, it was found that its use in ARVI made it possible to reduce the duration of the disease by 2 days, reduce the number of complications and the duration of symptoms of the disease, shorten the period the release of viral particles, which led to a decrease in the risk of disease in those around the patient. For example, parents.
Look further – pregnant women. Another article “Clinical effect of using various dosage forms of Viferon in pregnant women with acute respiratory infection” states that the use of the drug helped: stop the symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections and influenza by the end of the third day, reduce the likelihood of developing bacterial complications by 16,7%, contributed to a milder clinical the course of the disease in pregnant women for a period of 14 to 26 weeks.
Or, about the transmission of infection from mother to fetus: the results of a study published in the article “The use of Viferon in the complex treatment of urogenital infections in pregnant women in order to prevent intrauterine infections in newborns” show that the use of Viferon contributes to the fact that 2 times more children are born healthy, fewer children experience intrauterine growth retardation; 1,7 times less common are severe forms of intrauterine infection.
Source: kono-pizza.ru
So, how to distinguish reliable information from a hype topic? Do not be lazy to look for it yourself in open sources, in medical journals or on the manufacturer’s website.
it states the facts with reference to the source;
it contains a detailed explanation and justification of the statement;
it comes from medical specialists, doctors of the specialty that corresponds to the topic of discussion.
As a result of our study, as well as the collection of data from open sources, we see that drugs containing interferon (the analysis was based on the example of studies of the drug Viferon) are safe for the treatment of various diseases in children and adults. Their effectiveness is confirmed by clinical studies, they are included in the standards of care and lists of vital drugs.
We made sure that the denial of the evidence of interferons is one of the new information hype topics that does not have any factual basis. Be careful, trust only proven facts, not emotional publications. After all, you are responsible not only for your health, but also for the health of your children. We hope our material was useful to you.