Fever is a symptom, not a diagnosis. In an otherwise healthy adult, a fever of two or three days with a clear cold or throat infection usually needs rest, fluids and paracetamol.

Come in the same day if

  • Fever above 39°C that does not come down with paracetamol
  • Breathlessness, chest pain, or confusion
  • A rash that does not fade when you press it
  • Fever with severe headache and neck stiffness
  • You are diabetic, pregnant, over 65, or on medication that lowers immunity

Please do not

Start antibiotics on your own or on a chemist's suggestion. Most fevers here are viral, antibiotics do nothing for them, and a partly treated infection is considerably harder for me to diagnose afterwards.