Your body fights the flu virus with its immune system, but prescribed antiviral drugs (like Tamiflu) can significantly help by stopping the virus from multiplying, especially if taken within 48 hours of symptoms; these meds interfere with viral replication, shortening illness and preventing severe complications, while supportive care like rest and fluids helps your body recover.
If you have a severe infection or are at high risk of complications from a flu infection, your healthcare professional may prescribe an antiviral medicine to treat the flu. These medicines can include oseltamivir (Tamiflu), baloxavir (Xofluza) and zanamivir (Relenza).
Food & Drink to Avoid With the Flu
Coughing and Sneezing—Within a few days of a viral infection, the fluid from a runny nose may change color from clear to yellow to green. 4 Mucus is designed to trap offending viruses, which are efficiently and quickly expelled from the body through coughing and sneezing.
Some of the effective home remedies to manage flu include: Getting plenty of bed rest to boost immune function and ward off viruses. Drinking plenty of fluids like water or juice to flush viruses or bacteria out of the body.
Viral exit methods include budding, exocytosis, and cell lysis. Budding through the cell envelope, in effect using the cell's membrane for the virus itself is most effective for viruses that need an envelope. This process will slowly use up the cell membrane and eventually lead to the demise of the cell.
After about 4 days, you'll probably start to feel better. Your fever should be lower and your body aches should have lessened. Your cough may be worse, but this can be a sign that you're getting better. It's still important to get rest and plenty of fluid intake, and to self-isolate.
Fluids are crucial when you have the flu, as fever and other symptoms can lead to dehydration. Water, herbal teas, and clear broths are excellent choices. Oral rehydration solutions like sports drinks or electrolyte-rich beverages can help replenish lost minerals.
Flu day 2: Peak symptoms
This is typically the worst day, but it's also when your immune system is fighting the hardest. You may not feel up for much besides resting, and that's exactly what your body needs. Flu home remedies and self-care can make a big difference in how you feel during these early days.
Tips to Recover From the Flu Faster
Prioritize sleep → your body heals faster with rest. Stay hydrated → prevents complications like dehydration and sinus infections. Eat nourishing foods → soups, fruits, and veggies support immune recovery. Use a humidifier → eases congestion and cough.
Coconut water is another great option as it is a natural source of electrolytes and can help hydrate and maintain balance during illness. Additionally, electrolyte powders or hydration tablets can be added to water, especially if you're feeling dehydrated or have been running a fever.
Avoid citrus fruits, spicy food, grapes, and bananas during cough and cold. Eat vitamin C-rich fruits because they have antioxidant properties and ease seasonal flu.
Increase your fluid intake, especially if you are not managing to eat as much. MOVE: If possible, get up and move around slowly and gently a few times each day to keep your body moving and to aid circulation (the movement of blood around your body).
Home Remedies for Cold and Flu Relief
Most people who get flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.
From what we know, COVID-19 spreads more easily than flu. Efforts to maximize the proportion of people in the United States who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines remain critical to reducing the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death.
Severe muscle pain or weakness. Seizures. Bluish skin, lips or nails (cyanosis, which can be a sign of low oxygen levels in your blood or tissues). Fever or cough that gets better or goes away but then get worse.
Young, healthy people probably don't need to be treated for influenza. It will simply run its course in a few days. Over-the-counter medications for symptoms may be helpful.
The virus is still finding its new norm. Even so, a few things about this season's ongoing torment are clear. Much of the blame rests on the season's dominant flu variant—subclade K, which belongs to the H3N2 group of influenza.
Glucose replacement: Dehydration in children can cause hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Sprite can replace lost glucose, which may help reduce nausea and prevent other undesirable symptoms resulting from low blood sugar.
Ginger may soothe your cough, sore throat, and improve recovery time because the compounds in ginger can strengthen the immune system. Most coughs and sore throats are caused by viruses, such as the common cold, flu, or mononucleosis. Cold medicines cannot kill viruses, but ginger might help.
Antihistamines can help with a runny nose but are not effective against nasal congestion or fever in flu cases.
Research shows both influenza A and B viruses survive for 24 to 48 hours on hard surfaces like stainless steel, doorknobs and plastic, but survive for less than 12 hours on cloth, paper and tissues. “Once transferred to hands, the virus' lifespan drops significantly and is only infectious for about 5 minutes,” says Dr.
The 2025-2026 season is surpassing the 2024-2025 flu epidemic, which was considered a “high severity” season by the CDC. “There's a number of metrics which show we've eclipsed where we were at last year ... hospitalizations, percent positivity rate, name your metric. It's worse this year,” says Roberts.
Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.