At a glance

• Rest, drink enough fluid and follow the symptom-care advice given to you.
• Stay home while unwell and reduce the risk of passing infection to others.
• Seek early advice if you are at higher risk or symptoms are worsening.

Recovering and protecting others

• Use medicines only as directed and check age limits, ingredients and interactions before combining cold-and-flu products.
• Stay home while acutely unwell; if you must be around others, improve ventilation, consider a well-fitting mask and practise hand and cough hygiene.
• Follow current advice about COVID-19 testing and any workplace, school or care-setting requirements.
• Return to usual activity gradually as fever, breathing and energy improve.

Know the difference

• Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections and do not shorten an uncomplicated viral illness.
• Antiviral medicines may help selected people with influenza or COVID-19 and can be time-sensitive.
• Contact the practice early if you are at higher risk, test positive or have been given a specific action plan.

When to book a GP review

• Breathing is becoming harder, wheeze is not responding to your plan or you have chest pain.
• You cannot maintain fluids, urine output is reduced or there is marked drowsiness.
• Symptoms worsen after initial improvement, or a baby, frail older person or high-risk patient is unwell.

Follow-up

• Arrange review if improvement stalls, fever returns or the cough and fatigue are not following the expected course.
• Follow your asthma, COPD or other respiratory action plan if you have one.
• Discuss vaccination and prevention after recovery if these are not current.

Emergency advice

Call 000 for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, collapse, severe chest pain, confusion, inability to wake normally or another severe or rapidly worsening symptom.

Rochedale Family Practice is not an emergency service.