Exposed to the flu? When medicine can help keep you from getting sick

Flu spreads mainly through tiny drops made when a sick person coughs, sneezes or talks. Less often, people catch it by touching something with flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.

People with flu spread it most in the first 3 days of being sick. They can spread it from 1 day before their symptoms start until 5 to 7 days after.

If you catch flu, symptoms usually start about 2 days later, but it can be 1 to 4 days.

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is a flu medicine. It is used to treat flu, and it can also help prevent flu after you have been near someone who has it.

To prevent flu, it is usually taken once a day for 10 days. If your kidneys do not work well, the doctor may lower the dose or have you take it every other day. It needs to be started within 48 hours of being near the sick person.

In studies of people who lived with someone who had flu, those who took it were less likely to get sick.

The most common side effects are an upset stomach and throwing up.

Medicine to prevent flu does not take the place of a flu shot. CDC says everyone 6 months and older should get a flu shot every flu season.

Flu symptoms include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, body aches and feeling very tired. If they start, contact a doctor. Treating flu takes more medicine each day than preventing it.

Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain or confusion.

If you are in Virginia or West Virginia, you can start a visit online at any time. It is for people 4 and older with no flu symptoms who were close to someone whose flu was found by a test or a doctor. You must be able to take the first dose within 48 hours of first being near the sick person. A parent or guardian answers for a child.

A board-certified physician reviews your answers. If it is right for you, the doctor can send oseltamivir to your pharmacy. It is usually taken once a day for 10 days, with a lower or less frequent dose if your kidneys do not work well.

It is not the right fit if:

• You have flu symptoms now, like fever, chills, cough, sore throat or body aches (use our flu visit instead)
• You have trouble breathing, chest pain or confusion (call 911)
• It has been 48 hours or more since you were first near the sick person while they were sick
• You are allergic to oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
• You are on dialysis or have kidney failure
• You have kidney disease and no kidney blood test from the last 12 months, or a child has kidney disease
• You live in a nursing home or another care home
• You are pregnant or might be pregnant
• The child is younger than 4

If you are pregnant, have kidney problems or live in a care home, contact your own doctor or the care home staff today. Flu medicine to prevent flu needs to start within 48 hours.

Visits start at $59. You see the price before you pay, and you do not need insurance.