What are the antiviral medications available?
Recently, I caught a viral flu and have not been getting better. I heard there are antiviral medications and would like to know what they are.
Doctor's answer (1)
There are various types of antiviral drugs, commonly including nucleoside analogs, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors.
Nucleoside analogs such as acyclovir can inhibit herpesvirus replication and are commonly used to treat diseases caused by herpes simplex virus infections, such as cold sores and genital herpes, effectively relieving symptoms and shortening the duration of illness.
Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors like nevirapine are primarily used in the treatment of AIDS. By blocking the activity of reverse transcriptase, they inhibit HIV replication in the body and delay disease progression.
Protease inhibitors such as lopinavir are also important drugs in AIDS treatment regimens. They inhibit the activity of HIV protease, preventing the cleavage of viral protein precursors, thereby affecting viral maturation and release.
In addition, ribavirin exhibits inhibitory effects against multiple viruses including respiratory syncytial virus and can be used to treat certain viral respiratory infections. However, the use of antiviral drugs must strictly follow medical instructions, with appropriate selection based on different viral types and individual patient conditions.
