It is important to understand that antibiotics should not be used for viral infections, and equally important for parents to learn about the differences between bacterial and viral infections. Your child usually recovers from these common viral infections when the illness has run its course. This complicated question, which should be answered by your child's physician, depends on the specific diagnosis. Most cases of sore throat are caused by viruses. One kind, strep throat, diagnosed by a laboratory test, requires antibiotics.
Viral infections can sometimes lead to bacterial infections.
However, treating viral infections with antibiotics in order to prevent bacterial infections is not recommended, and may lead to infection with resistant bacteria. Some new strains of bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Each time we take antibiotics, the sensitive bacteria are killed, but resistant bacteria may be left to grow and multiply. These resistant bacteria can also be spread to others in the family and community. Repeated use and improper use of antibiotics are two of the main causes of the increase in resistant bacteria.