how long does urti last
Excluding 80 uncertain responses, 544 (23.1%) respondents expected their URTI to last for 1-3 days in general, 613 (25.5%) for 4-6 days, 1168 (48.6%) for 1-2 weeks, and 66 (2.7%) for > 2 weeks. The mean of expected duration was 7.4 (SD:4.2) days. Respondents expecting 1-3 days duration were least likely to ask for and be treated with antibiotics. The proportion of respondents being treated with antibiotics for the last URTI increased from 10% for the 1-3 days group to 23% for the > 2 weeks group (Ï(2) = 19.086, P < 0.001). The effect of expected duration remained significant (P = 0.0188) after adjusting for the effects of demographic factors. The Hong Kong Chinese expect their URTI to last for about 7 days on average.