「Colds need antibiotics」

Where the claim comes from

A red throat and a runny nose look like "inflammation", and antibiotics are widely thought of as the medicine for that. Taking a pill and getting better also tend to happen in the same few days, so the pill gets the credit.

What the evidence says

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is direct about it: antibiotics only treat certain infections caused by bacteria and do not work on viruses. Colds and runny noses (even with thick, yellow or green mucus), most sore throats, flu and most chest colds are all on the list of things they cannot treat, and they will not make you feel better if you have a virus. The costs are real, though: side effects such as rash, nausea and diarrhoea, plus a contribution to antibiotic resistance. The CDC adds that antibiotic side effects are the most common cause of medication-related emergency visits in children.

What to do instead

• Do not press the doctor for antibiotics; whether they are needed is a clinical call after examination.
• Do not use leftover antibiotics or anyone else's prescription.
• If antibiotics are prescribed, take them exactly as directed and ask the doctor or pharmacist about anything unclear.
• Prevention is easier than treatment: wash hands, cover coughs and sneezes, stay home when sick, and keep up with vaccines such as the flu shot.