Got prescribed antibiotics yesterday and I got to thinking about what an infection is, what causes infections, and so forth. When the doctor examined me he just looked at my skin and made the determination that I needed antibiotics. How did he know it wasn’t a viral infection? Would I be running a temperature? Can you not get a viral infection in/under your skin?
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There are a few ways to tell the difference between a viral and bacterial infection. One way is to look at the symptoms. For example, a cold is usually caused by a virus, while strep throat is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Another way to tell the difference is by how long the infection lasts. Viral infections usually go away on their own after a week or two, while bacterial infections often require antibiotics to clear up.
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