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According to a U.S. retrospective analysis published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, real-world outcomes suggests that baloxavir may offer more reduction in downstream healthcare utilization among influenza outpatients compared to oseltamivir. The study evaluated electronic health records from 69 healthcare organizations, identifying more than 75,000 treated patients aged 5 years and older who received either oseltamivir (73,899) or baloxavir (1,592) from 2016 to 2023. Across 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up periods, baloxavir users experienced fewer hospitalizations. By 6 months, hospitalizations occurred in 5.3% of oseltamivir recipients vs just 0.8% of those treated with baloxavir. Emergency department visits also showed better outcomes at 6 months with baloxavir (5.0%) compared with oseltamivir (7.2%) (hazard ratio 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.78). Mortality remained low in both groups (0.6%). Researchers suggest that baloxavir may more rapidly reduce viral load compared to oseltamivir. Baloxavir was approved in the United States in 2018, and oseltamivir was approved in 1999.
Flu testing: As the holiday season begins, new Experity data shows a significant surge in positive lab results for influenza—rising from 3% in late September to 27% as of December 16. The southern and western states are producing the highest percentage of positive tests, but experts do not expect the 2025-2026 flu season to be severe based on historical trends. Meanwhile, visit volume is beginning to climb as might be expected at this time of year.