Salen-manganese compounds are synthetic, stable, low toxicity, low cost agents that may provide protection from immune reaction-related oxidative cell damage associated with many illnesses. In particular, oxidative cell damage has been associated with many viral infections including influenza. This invention demonstrates that treating mice with salen-manganese compounds, after lethal pandemic influenza virus infection, significantly enhances survival. Salen-manganese treatment also reduces lung pathology and also improved cellular recovery and repair. Because oxidative damage is observed in many viral infections, administration of salen-manganese compounds may have therapeutic relevance to a wide range of viral infections, in addition influenza. Existing viral therapeutics merely target the infectious viral agent and not the damage caused by the immune system reaction related to infection. Because, salen-manganese treatments target the untapped therapeutic space of infection-induced, immune system-related pathology and have favorable safety and cost profiles, such therapies are ideal candidates for development.