Influenza usually hits fast — fever, chills, body aches, exhaustion within hours — and runs 5 to 7 days at full intensity. The cough and tiredness often outlast the fever by another week or two. That's normal recovery, not a complication.
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can shorten the illness by about a day and reduce complications, but only if started within 48 hours of symptom onset — which is why early testing matters. We run rapid flu tests with results in minutes.
Return promptly if you improve then worsen again (possible secondary pneumonia), have trouble breathing, can't keep fluids down, or fever persists past 4 days.
