Acute Respiratory Infections
The most common reason people get sick.
What counts as an ARI
- Infections of the airways lasting less than two weeks: colds, sore throat, sinusitis, bronchitis, flu.
- Caused mostly by viruses — rhinovirus, influenza, RSV and many others.
- They top the country's notifiable disease list most years, especially in crowded urban areas and the cold–rainy months.
Typical course
- Sore throat and runny nose first, then cough — cough can linger up to 2–3 weeks.
- Fever, if present, usually settles within 3–5 days.
- Most healthy adults recover with rest and fluids alone.
Treatment
- Rest, fluids, and paracetamol for fever and pain.
- Steam, saline drops and honey (over age one) for cough and congestion.
- Antibiotics do not help viral infections and should not be demanded or self-bought.
- Annual flu vaccine for children, older adults, pregnant women and those with chronic illness.
When it becomes pneumonia
- Fever that returns after improving, or lasts beyond five days.
- Faster breathing, chest pain when breathing, or bluish lips.
- In children: fast breathing, chest in-drawing, or refusing to drink.
- Pneumonia needs a doctor — it is a leading cause of death in young children and the elderly.
Seek medical help urgently if
- Difficulty breathing, fast breathing, or chest in-drawing in a child
- Bluish lips or fingertips
- Fever beyond five days or returning after it had settled
- A baby under three months with any fever
General information only — not a substitute for medical advice.