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When to Use Antibiotics
By Priya Nori, MD HEALTH - Doctors have been busy with RSV, a common virus that hits young children and people over 65 especially hard. Flu cases have been climbing earlier than usual, and COVID-19 infections continue to spread in our community. All of the above can create sneezing, congestion, sore throat and fever – so a lab test is the best way to determine the cause. These symptoms can be truly exhausting – leading people to visit their doctor in hopes of getting a prescription for an antibiotic. We’ve come to think of these medicines as wonders for a quick cure – and they can be when they quickly resolve a difficult bacterial infection. When Antibiotics Cause Harm While antibiotics can be helpful for bacterial infections, they do not kill viruses, which are the cause of the common cold, the flu, RSV, and COVID. When you have a virus, antibiotics will not work – and they can cause harm without benefits. Common antibiotic side effects ...
