Fears about Swine Flu and notions of the best methods of preventing the spread are sweeping over the world like wild fire, with everyone voicing a different opinion. Is stocking Tamiflu the best option? Do facemasks work? Should we be constantly washing our hands, or never leaving the house?
The Cochrane Library, viewed as the Gold Standard in Evidence Based Medicine, has 17 systematic reviews available on the prevention and treatment of influenza. All are available on www.thecochranelibrary.com and have been made free to enable everyone in the world with access to the internet to view the evidence and the answers for themselves.
The Editor-in-Chief of The Cochrane Library, Dr. David Tovey, stated that, "Reviews in The Cochrane Library evaluate all the high quality trials of the interventions in question, rather than just a selective sample. This means that The Library is the best place to go do to find the evidence to guide healthcare decisions."
Dr. Tom Jefferson, who has been studying influenza research for twenty years and is the author of many of the Cochrane Reviews, added "Our reviews have shown that the most effective interventions are not drugs, but ways to prevent the spread of the virus. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, wash your hands, and if you get sick, stay at home."