Patient's question:
My baby hasn't recovered from the cold this time. It's been several days, and the cold medicine hasn't helped at all. It just keeps getting worse, and eventually, he developed a fever. The doctor said it's not bacterial but rather a toxic cold symptom. I don't really understand this, so I want to ask: what are the symptoms of a viral cold and how can they be distinguished?Doctor's answer:
How to distinguish between bacterial and viral acute upper respiratory infections, commonly known as the common cold, is the most common disease in children under the age of 5, occurring throughout the year, with higher prevalence in winter and spring. Medical research has shown that the pathogens causing colds include various viruses and bacteria, with viruses being the majority, accounting for more than 90%. Common viruses include rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common bacteria include Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. The main symptoms of viral colds in children are fever, which may or may not be present, with varying temperatures, clear nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, relatively good spirits, reduced appetite, and sometimes accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea. In rare cases, high fever seizures may occur. The main symptoms of bacterial colds in children are fever, especially persistent high fever that does not subside, purulent nasal discharge, sore throat, listlessness, poor appetite, and some children may experience high fever seizures.