What are the antiviral drugs?
Disease description:
Viral colds are quite common, and antiviral medications are often used. I'd like to ask the doctor, what are the available antiviral medications?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Antiviral drugs are a class of medications used to treat viral infections. They can prevent viral replication, reduce viral activity, or help the body fight against viruses more effectively. Commonly used antiviral drugs include:
1. **Antiretroviral drugs**: Such as zidovudine, lamivudine, and abacavir. These drugs inhibit the reverse transcriptase enzyme of the virus, preventing its replication within cells.
2. **Anti-herpesvirus drugs**: For example, acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir. These are commonly used to treat herpes zoster and herpes simplex.
3. **Anti-influenza virus drugs**: Oseltamivir and zanamivir inhibit the neuraminidase enzyme of the influenza virus, reducing viral release and spread.
4. **Anti-hepatitis C virus drugs**: Such as sofosbuvir, daclatasvir, and grazoprevir. These medications directly target the viral life cycle and offer high cure rates.
The use of antiviral drugs should be conducted under the guidance of a physician. Excessive or inappropriate use may lead to the development of drug resistance.
