Mayo doctors say antibiotics aren’t good for every winter sickness

Antibiotics can save people’s lives, but Mayo Clinic says those drugs are not appropriate for every illness.

For example, antibiotics don’t do much for colds and flu, because the pills don’t work on viruses.

Sarah Lessard, a pharmacist with Mayo in the La Crosse area, says doctors would like to see a sure-fire medicine to treat most viruses.

“We don’t have that just yet, you know, that’s that magic bullet that we really do want,” Lessard told reporters Tuesday. “Unfortunately, when we have common cold or viral syndromes, we do want to get better, we have lives to get back to.” But, she says many colds and coughs can last two or three weeks, or more.

During a Mayo video conference, Lessard said a symptom like a sore throat can be eased with honey or popsicles as effectively as with a medicine.

Lessard added that illnesses like COVID-19 and RSV are not going to respond to those medicines.

“Anti-biotics do not work for viral syndromes,” she said, “and many times when we get a cold, that 95 per cent of the time, it’s likely a virus.”

Lessard noted that one of the best remedies for colds is to stay home and recover for a few days.