When a child or adult has a sore throat, cough and fever, many families expect an antibiotic, and it can feel unsatisfying to leave without one. Often, though, that is the correct medical decision, because most of these illnesses are caused by viruses.
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections and have no effect on viruses, and most colds, along with many coughs and sore throats, are viral. Taking an antibiotic for a viral illness will not speed recovery, and it can cause diarrhoea, rashes, allergic reactions and other side effects you did not need.
Antimicrobial resistance happens when germs change so that medicines that once worked stop working, making infections harder to treat. The World Health Organization identifies misuse and overuse of antibiotics as major drivers of resistance, so every unnecessary course chips away at a shared resource.
Symptoms alone do not always reveal the cause, so a doctor may examine you or order a test, and when a bacterial infection is likely, an antibiotic can be essential and even lifesaving. The WHO's guidance is not to avoid antibiotics but to use the right one, at the right dose, for the right reason.
If a clinician prescribes an antibiotic, take it exactly as directed, do not share it, and do not use leftover tablets or buy them without proper advice. Ask the most useful question of all, "what signs mean I should come back?", which turns a visit without antibiotics into a clear plan for safe recovery.