Philippines
A 20-year-old male asked:
How to know if you have viral or bacterial tonsillitis, i mean, i searched the difference of those two but my symptoms can be found at viral and the other one is in bacterial (aside from their common symptoms?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 47 years experience
You do a strep test. The symptoms overlap & many of the nastiest looking throats are viral. Most primary care offices carry simple quick tests where a swab picks up the genetic material in the germ & turns the test positive if strep. It only takes a few minutes.
Reviewed Apr 12, 2021
Last updated Apr 15, 2021
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