Cold and flu season is upon us! One commonly asked question is – do I need antibiotics? Antibiotics are only used to treat bacterial infections, not viruses. So, how do you know if you have a bacterial infection? There are a few differentiating symptoms. Your infection is likely bacterial if:symptoms last longer than 2 weeks, your fever worsens after a few days, you have yellow or green mucus or white spots in your throat. While those trends are associated with bacterial infections, the only way to know for sure is a trip to your doctor.