3 ms·

What is the benefit of taking an antibiotic you don't need? Even if people are perfectly selfish, they should want to not bother with useless medicine.

• emiliobumachar 9y ago
  It's hard to be sure it's a viral infection unless you have a positive test for a specific virus.
  • saint_fiasco 9y ago
    I see. Benefits for the individual and costs for the collective is a recipe for a tragedy of the commons. But antibiotics have some individual costs too. They are bad for your gut flora, and I think you can't drink alcohol while you are on antibiotics. Maybe these individual costs should be raised. Perhaps via a special tax on antibiotics for people who don't have a positive test for a specific bacteria.
  • mrfusion 9y ago
    Plus viral infections can cause bacterial infections. Sinus infections from a cold are a common one.
    • davidw 9y ago
      I used to get those all the freaking time. And it really sucks, because you start to feel a bit better, and then it drags on and on and on and you don't want to take antibiotics, but you don't want to feel shitty and drained and not do anything either.