Preparing for a cold or flu telehealth consultation

Record the symptom timeline

Note when symptoms began and whether you have cough, sore throat, fever, blocked or runny nose, headache, muscle aches, wheeze, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhoea or rash. Record any measured temperature and how symptoms are changing.

Mention recent travel, sick contacts, COVID-19 or influenza testing and vaccination where relevant. Tell the doctor if symptoms improved and then worsened again.

Share risk factors early

Age, pregnancy, asthma, chronic lung or heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, immune suppression and some medicines can affect urgency and treatment options. Provide a complete medicine and allergy list.

For a child, have their age, approximate weight, fluid intake, urine output, activity and temperature available. Babies and young children may need a lower threshold for in-person assessment.

• Pregnancy or recent birth
• Chronic heart, lung, kidney or immune conditions
• A baby under 3 months with fever
• Difficulty keeping fluids down or reduced urine output

What telehealth can assess

A doctor can discuss the history, visible breathing effort, hydration, test results and home observations. They may advise symptom care, testing, monitoring or in-person examination.

Antibiotics do not treat viral colds or influenza and are not automatic. Antiviral medicines are appropriate only for particular infections, people and time windows after clinical assessment.

Why examination may still be needed

Listening to the lungs, measuring oxygen saturation, examining the throat or ears, checking hydration, or arranging chest imaging may be necessary. Camera and microphone quality cannot reliably replace these assessments.

If pneumonia, significant asthma, dehydration or another complication is possible, the doctor may direct you to a clinic, urgent care service or emergency department.

Seek urgent care for warning signs

Call 000 for severe breathing difficulty, blue or grey lips, collapse, severe chest pain, confusion or another life-threatening concern. A baby younger than 3 months with a temperature above 38°C needs urgent assessment.

Seek prompt review for worsening breathing, dehydration, persistent or returning fever, coughing blood, severe pain or symptoms that are not improving as expected.

Common questions