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Antibiotics only work against bacterialinfections. They are a waste of time and money, and can have side effects and potential allergic reactions, so they are not for treatment of a cold or other virus, and should not be used when not absolutely necessary. Unnecessary use of antibiotics is one of the main reasons we have resistant bacteria now that do not respond to treatment with some antibiotics because they have been over-prescribed. Since the cold and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics do not work for the treatment of those infections.

The first step is being properly diagnosed. If your doctor has diagnosed you with influenza (usually based on clinical symptoms rather than laboratory testing, but sometimes determined using a rapid test that detects the influenza virus in your body), then there are several medicines that can be used.

There are some anti-viral medications available for use with the flu, but to date there are none available that provide a cure for the common cold.

For years, the anti-viral drugs amantadine and rimantidine were the only agents available for treating cases of influenza. Now, however, the drugs oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamavir (Relenza) are most often used. Of interest, in 2009 near the start of the pandemic of H1N1/09, the CDC issued a statement about their concern that one of the subtypes of influenza (Influenza A) may be resistant to Tamiflu. For this reason, they have recommended that cases of Influenza A be treated with Relenza. (Note: the "Swine Flu" A-H1N1/09 is not resistant to either of these anti-viral drugs and both are still being prescribed to treat the "pandemic flu" as of the 2011-2012 flu season. Monitoring continues on an ongoing basis to assure that this is still effective for this particular strain of flu.)

The available evidence shows that starting Tamiflu or Relenza within 24 hours of flu symptom onset can decrease the length and severity of symptoms.

In some cases, when a person is infected with a virus, if they have a lowered immune response due to underlying conditions, they may also be given an antibiotic as a preventive measure to prophylactically treat or prevent potential secondary bacterial infections that might be acquired due to immune compromised conditions. Additionally, sometimes a secondary opportunistic bacterial infection will occur when a person is very ill from a virus, and in those cases, they will need treatment for the secondary bacterial condition with an antibiotic, in addition perhaps to treatment they are receiving for the viral infection. This is often the case with influenza since secondary bacterial pneumonia can be a complication.

Of course, the best defense against influenza is still the annual flu vaccination, which, in the 2011-2012 flu season continues to contain vaccine for the A-H1N1/09 pandemic flu in addition to two other types of flu vaccine (known as trivalent flu vaccines since they contain 3 kinds each year). It is nearing time for flu vaccinations as fall approaches, be sure to have yours. They are proven safe and effective.

Definition

Amethod of paying for a product in which the buyer pays a deposit followed by a series of installments over a period of time. Ownership remains with the seller or finance company until a specified level of payment is reached.Seller charge the interst on installment paid by buyer,,,'

HISTORY OF HIREC PURCHASE

(i) U.S.A.:

The roots of instalment finance go

right back to the beginning of the

last century to the difficulties experienced

by the American furniture

trade-one of the first handicraft industries

to turn to factory production

-in disposing of its output. "Time

to pay" was the obvious answer to

creating a mass market for furniture

among the lower income groups.

Later instalment credit spread to

such diverse fields as sewing

machines and encyclopaedias. Initially

financed by the sellers, it was

not until 1905 that the now familiar

finance corporation made its appearance

and assumed responsibility

for the financial burden of instalment

purchase transactions.

The really big break for hire-purchase

came with the cheapening of

the motor car before World War I

when the manufacturers, like their

predecessors in the furniture trade,

began to switch from custom-built

products for cash patrons to assembly

line output for the masses.

The selling emphasis changed from

the accumulated past savings of the

buyer to.his future potential income.

A great range of electrical appliances

and wireless sets was added to hirepurchase

facilities in the 1920's. By

*The purchase of a house on terms is not

regarded as instalment credit.

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1929, two out of every three cars in

U.S.A. were sold on terms, and instalment

credit for consumer goods,

including cars, had reached 3i billion

dollars, an amount equal to about

4% of the total of all personal incomes.

The trend of instalment credit in

U.S.A.follows closely the level of

expenditure on durable goods. It

fell away sharply during the depression

with the collapse of the durable

goods market and only regained predepression

proportions in the early

years of the war before Pearl

Harbour. After Pearl Harbour factories

were diverted to war production

and hire-purchase terms were

tightened. From a new peak of 6%

of personal income in 1941, instalment

credit dropped to 11% by 1945.

After the war it took five years to

get back to 1941 levels ; goods were

scarce and people were able to pay

cash from pent-up savings. Then

came the Korean War and hire-purchase

curbs were imposed as a

counter to inflation. These restrictions

were removed in May, 1952,

and a sharp upward burst in spending

has taken the level of instalment

credit to just short of 8% of personal

income. Some down-turn is

now anticipated because of a slackening

in sales of motor cars and durable

goods.

(ii) United Kingdom:

Little data is available on the extent

of hire-purchase in the United

Kingdom. Before World. War II the

British Hire-Purchase Traders' Association

estimated that 4 million

agreements were being entered into

annually and that instalment agreements

accounted for half of all sales

of cars and furniture. The war was

even more severe on hire-purchase

activities in United Kingdom than in

U.S.A. But it has staged a remark-'

able recovery in The last three or

four years ; 75-80% of all furniture

sales in United Kingdom are now

financed by instalment credit and.

about half of all radio sales and a

third of sales of television sets.

However, the absence of any great

volume of motor car sales on the

domestic market has severely restricted

the extent of hire-purchase

finance in Britain as compared with

U.S.A. Also manufacturers and

bankers, unlike their American counterparts,

appear to have been slower

to cultivate the mass market, and this

in itself has narrowed the influence

of hire-purchase in the United Kingdom.

(iii) Australia:

Hire-purchase credit facilities have

been long-established features of retail

trade in Australia, particularly

in furniture and pianos. The subsequent

trend followed the American

pattern-rapid expansion during the

motor car and electrical appliances

boom of the '20's ; stagnation in the

'30's ; a short-lived recovery followed

by war-time frustration. However,

after the war, as goods became

available, hire-purchase finance was

rapidly extended to the limits set

by controls over bank advances and

capital issues. In Australia today

about 30% of cars, 50% of furniture

and 60% of refrigerators are

sold on terms. With• the complete removal

of capital issues controls, and

modifications in bank advance policy,

ample funds are becoming available

to meet hire-purchase demands.

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