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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Partly. Video assessment of how unwell you are, with an in-person examination or chest X-ray when pneumonia is likely.
- Symptoms: a cough, often with phlegm, fever, breathlessness, sharp chest pain when breathing in, and in older people sudden confusion.
- Antibiotics: bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics, usually for 5 days; they do not help pneumonia caused by a virus.
- Recovery: the fever settles within a week, the cough and breathlessness ease over about 6 weeks, and feeling fully normal can take 3 to 6 months.
- Emergency: call 112 if you are struggling to breathe, coughing up blood, suddenly confused, or your lips or skin turn blue or grey.
Do not book a video appointment if you are struggling to breathe or cannot speak in full sentences, are coughing up blood, have suddenly become confused, or your lips, tongue or skin look pale, blue, grey or blotchy. These need emergency care: call 112.
Can an online doctor treat pneumonia?
Partly. A doctor can recognise the signs of pneumonia by video, count your breathing rate, judge how urgently you need care and guide your recovery afterwards. Confirming pneumonia usually needs a face-to-face examination, and sometimes a chest X-ray, so the doctor arranges in-person care when the signs point to it. Struggling to breathe, coughing up blood or sudden confusion needs emergency care.
How an online consultation helps with pneumonia
- A clear answer on how urgent it is: The doctor counts your breathing, checks for confusion and asks about chest pain, the same points doctors use to decide between care at home and hospital.
- Chest infection, bronchitis or pneumonia?: Most chesty coughs are bronchitis, which clears without antibiotics. The doctor looks for the signs that point to pneumonia instead.
- Recovery that stays on track: After treatment, the doctor checks that your fever, cough and breathing are improving as expected, and acts if they are not.
- Advice for the people around you: You leave knowing how to protect the people you live with, which vaccines lower the risk next time, and how to return to work and exercise safely.
What the doctor checks in an online pneumonia consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the emergency signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Breathing and oxygen: breathlessness at rest or when talking, your breathing rate, chest pain, and blue or grey lips.
- Confusion and alertness: new confusion or drowsiness, especially in older adults, in whom it may be the main sign.
- The course of the illness: when it started, whether a fever came back after a cold or flu, and whether you are getting worse.
- Your risk: your age, smoking, long-term heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, diabetes, and a weakened immune system.
- Fluids and medicines: whether you are drinking and passing urine, any allergies, especially to penicillin, and any antibiotics you have already taken.
Before the call, take your temperature, and measure your oxygen level and blood pressure if you have the devices at home. Sit where the doctor can see your chest move, so your breathing rate can be counted.
Pneumonia symptoms
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the small air sacs in one or both lungs, which fill with fluid. It is usually caused by bacteria, most often pneumococcus, or by a virus such as flu, COVID-19 or RSV. Symptoms can start suddenly or build over a few days:
- a cough, which may bring up yellow, green, brown or blood-stained phlegm
- a high temperature, sweating and shivering
- shortness of breath, sometimes even at rest
- sharp chest pain that is worse when you breathe in or cough
- a fast heartbeat
- feeling very tired, aching and off your food
Older people may have little or no fever. In them, sudden confusion, a fall or going off food can be the main sign, so a change in how an older relative is behaving during a chest infection needs a doctor’s attention.
What causes pneumonia, and is it contagious?
Pneumonia happens when germs reach the lungs and cause an infection there. In adults, bacteria are the most common cause, above all pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae). Viruses such as flu, RSV and COVID-19 are the other main cause, and pneumonia often follows one of these infections. Fungal pneumonia is rare in healthy people. Aspiration pneumonia happens when food, drink, saliva or vomit is breathed into the lungs, which is more likely in people with swallowing problems.
Is pneumonia contagious?
Pneumonia itself is not usually passed on as pneumonia, but the germs that cause it often are. Flu, COVID-19 and RSV, and bacteria such as pneumococcus and Mycoplasma, spread through coughs and sneezes, but most people who catch flu, COVID-19 or RSV do not develop pneumonia. Fungal pneumonia is not contagious. With bacterial pneumonia, you are unlikely to pass the infection on once your fever has gone and you have taken antibiotics for at least 2 days. Until then, cover coughs and sneezes, wash your hands and keep away from vulnerable people.
What is walking pneumonia?
Walking pneumonia is an informal name for a milder pneumonia that keeps you on your feet. It is often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterium that comes in waves every 4 to 7 years, most recently across Europe in 2023 and 2024. It mostly affects people under 40.
Symptoms start 1 to 3 weeks after catching it and build slowly: a sore throat, a headache, tiredness and a dry cough that can last for weeks, often with only a low fever. Many mild cases settle without antibiotics. Penicillin-type antibiotics such as amoxicillin do not work against Mycoplasma, so if it is suspected and treatment is needed, the doctor chooses a different antibiotic, such as doxycycline or clarithromycin.
Pneumonia, bronchitis or a chest infection?
A chest infection is an umbrella term for infections of the airways and lungs. Bronchitis affects the airways and usually clears without antibiotics; pneumonia affects the lung tissue itself and is more serious.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Sign | More likely bronchitis | More likely pneumonia |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | Mild or none, settling in a few days | Often high, or returning after a cold or flu |
| Breathing | Normal at rest, sometimes a wheeze | Breathless and fast, sometimes even at rest |
| Chest pain | Soreness behind the breastbone from coughing | Sharp pain on one side when breathing in |
| How unwell you feel | Tired but coping | Very unwell, shivery, off your food |
| In older adults | A cough and a cold | Confusion, a fall or sudden weakness, sometimes without fever |
| Usual treatment | Self-care; antibiotics rarely help | Antibiotics, and hospital care if severe |
Doctors confirm pneumonia by listening to the chest with a stethoscope and, if needed, with a chest X-ray. That is why suspected pneumonia usually needs a face-to-face examination, and why the online consultation focuses on how urgently you need one. See also chest infection and cough.
How long does pneumonia last?
With treatment, symptoms should improve steadily, but full recovery takes longer than most people expect. NICE gives this timeline for adults:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Time after starting treatment | What to expect |
|---|---|
| 1 week | The fever has gone |
| 4 weeks | Chest pain and phlegm are much reduced |
| 6 weeks | The cough and breathlessness are much reduced |
| 3 months | Most symptoms have gone, though tiredness may remain |
| 6 months | Most people feel back to normal |
If you have not started to improve within 3 days of starting antibiotics, or you get worse at any point, you need to be seen again. After a hospital stay, it can take 6 to 8 weeks to feel normal again.
What are the four stages of pneumonia?
Doctors describe four stages that untreated bacterial pneumonia goes through in the affected part of the lung: congestion in the first 24 hours, when the lung fills with fluid; red hepatisation, when it becomes firm and airless for 2 to 4 days; grey hepatisation, lasting about 4 to 8 days; and resolution, from about the eighth day, as the infection clears and air returns. The stages describe changes in the lung tissue, not symptoms you can track at home.
Is pneumonia serious, and who is at higher risk?
Most people with mild pneumonia recover at home, but it can be life-threatening. Lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia were the fourth leading cause of death worldwide in 2023, with 2.7 million deaths. In the European Union, respiratory diseases caused 7.8% of all deaths in 2023, and the death rate from pneumonia rose by 6% between 2013 and 2023. Complications include fluid around the lungs (see pleurisy), a lung abscess, sepsis and breathing failure.
Anyone can get pneumonia, but it is more likely to be severe in:
- people aged 65 and over
- people who smoke or drink heavily
- long-term heart, lung, liver, kidney or neurological conditions
- diabetes
- a weakened immune system
- people recovering from flu or COVID-19
Vaccines lower the risk: the pneumococcal vaccine protects against the commonest bacterial cause, and flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines prevent infections that often lead to pneumonia. Stopping smoking helps too.
Which pneumonia treatment might the doctor recommend?
The first decision is where you should be treated: at home or in hospital. This is the decision framework the doctors use, aligned with the NICE pneumonia guideline (NG250).
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A chesty cough with mild fever, breathing normally | Likely bronchitis: self-care, no antibiotic | Usually yes | If breathlessness, chest pain or a returning fever develops |
| Signs of pneumonia, under 65, otherwise well, breathing comfortably | Examination to confirm; antibiotics, usually amoxicillin for 5 days | For the first assessment | To confirm the diagnosis, and at once if you get worse |
| A slow-starting dry cough, headache and tiredness in a younger adult | Possible walking pneumonia; a non-penicillin antibiotic if needed | Usually yes | If you become breathless or are not improving |
| Signs of pneumonia over 65, or with heart or lung disease | Prompt examination, often in hospital | Partly | In most cases |
| On antibiotics but no better after 3 days | Review of the diagnosis and the antibiotic | For the first review | Usually; a chest X-ray or blood tests may be needed |
| Breathless at rest, confused, blue lips or coughing up blood | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
Worried that your cough could be pneumonia? A doctor can tell you how urgently you need to be seen.
See available times →Treatment options for pneumonia
What you can do yourself
- Rest, and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and loosen the phlegm.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and chest pain, at the dose on the pack. Ibuprofen does not suit everyone, including people with a stomach ulcer, kidney problems or heart failure, or anyone who is pregnant.
- Coughing clears phlegm from your lungs, so cough suppressants are not recommended.
- Do not smoke, and avoid smoky rooms while your lungs recover.
- Build up activity gradually: breathlessness on effort is normal for weeks after pneumonia.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. Bacterial pneumonia is treated with antibiotics. If you have mild pneumonia and are well enough to be treated at home, the usual choice is amoxicillin for 5 days, or doxycycline or clarithromycin if you are allergic to penicillin or walking pneumonia is suspected. You should start to feel better within 3 days. Moderate or severe pneumonia is treated in hospital, sometimes with oxygen and antibiotics through a drip. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Antibiotics do not help pneumonia caused by a virus, such as flu or COVID-19, unless a bacterial infection develops on top. Strong cough suppressants such as codeine are not prescribed online. Routine follow-up chest X-rays are not needed for most people who recover well.
Special situations
Pneumonia in pregnancy
Pneumonia in pregnancy needs a prompt in-person assessment, because breathlessness affects both you and your baby. Amoxicillin can be used in pregnancy, doxycycline is avoided, and erythromycin is the usual alternative if you are allergic to penicillin. Paracetamol is the usual choice for fever and pain.
Older adults
Pneumonia in older people often starts with confusion, a fall or going off food rather than a cough and fever. Because the risk of becoming seriously ill is higher from 65 onwards, the doctor has a low threshold for arranging an in-person examination or hospital care.
After flu or COVID-19
A fever that comes back, or a cough and breathlessness that get worse a few days after flu or COVID-19, can mean a bacterial pneumonia on top. Speak to a doctor promptly rather than waiting to see if it settles.
Pneumonia while travelling
If you develop pneumonia symptoms while away, get assessed locally rather than travelling home with a fever. Avoid flying while you are breathless, and get medical advice before flying if you have been in hospital with pneumonia.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When pneumonia is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: assessment of a chesty cough and fever, deciding whether you need to be examined and how urgently, suspected walking pneumonia in younger adults, follow-up while you recover, and advice after a hospital stay.
In-person care: an examination or chest X-ray to confirm pneumonia, pneumonia in people over 65 or with heart or lung disease, breathlessness, a low oxygen level, confusion, no improvement after 3 days of antibiotics, and hospital treatment with oxygen or antibiotics through a drip.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- struggling to breathe: choking, gasping or unable to speak
- pale, blue, grey or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- coughing up blood
- sudden confusion, for example not knowing where you are
- cold, clammy skin with a racing heart, or feeling faint
Get medical advice the same day for:
- feeling short of breath
- chest pain when you breathe in or cough
- a fever that comes back after a cold or flu
- no improvement after 3 days of antibiotics, or getting worse at any point
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your chest: describe the cough and any chest pain, and sit where the doctor can watch you breathe.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s pneumonia? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call. If you have an emergency sign listed on this page, call 112 instead.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Chest infection can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about pneumonia
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the small air sacs in one or both lungs, which fill with fluid. It is usually caused by bacteria, most often pneumococcus, or by a virus such as flu, RSV or COVID-19. It causes a cough, fever, breathlessness and chest pain, and it can be serious, especially in older people.
What are the first signs of pneumonia?
Pneumonia usually starts with a cough, often bringing up phlegm, a high temperature with shivers, breathlessness and sharp chest pain when you breathe in. It can follow a cold or flu, with a fever that returns after you had started to improve. In older people, sudden confusion may be the first sign.
How long does pneumonia last?
With treatment for pneumonia, the fever usually settles within a week, chest pain and phlegm ease over about 4 weeks, and the cough and breathlessness over about 6 weeks. Tiredness can last 3 months, and most people feel fully back to normal within 6 months.
What is walking pneumonia?
Walking pneumonia is an informal name for a mild pneumonia that lets you stay on your feet, often caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It builds slowly with a sore throat, headache, tiredness and a dry cough that can last weeks. Many cases settle on their own, and when antibiotics are needed, penicillins do not work against it.
Is pneumonia contagious?
Pneumonia is not usually passed on as pneumonia, but the germs that cause it, such as flu, COVID-19 and Mycoplasma, spread through coughs and sneezes. With bacterial pneumonia, you are unlikely to pass it on once your fever has gone and you have taken antibiotics for at least 2 days. Until then, cover coughs, wash your hands and keep away from vulnerable people.
Is pneumonia serious?
It can be. Most people with mild pneumonia recover at home with antibiotics, but lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia were the fourth leading cause of death worldwide in 2023. The risk is highest over 65, with a weakened immune system, and with long-term heart or lung disease.
Can pneumonia be prevented?
Largely, for the common causes: the pneumococcal vaccine is offered to everyone over 65 and to younger adults with heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or weakened immunity, and the yearly flu vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine and the RSV vaccine for older adults prevent the viral infections that lead to pneumonia. Stopping smoking, limiting alcohol, good dental care and handwashing cut the risk further, and treating a chest infection early stops some pneumonia developing.
How is pneumonia treated?
Mild bacterial pneumonia is treated at home with antibiotics, usually for 5 days, plus rest, fluids and paracetamol or ibuprofen. Pneumonia caused by a virus does not need antibiotics. Severe pneumonia is treated in hospital, sometimes with oxygen and antibiotics through a drip.
How can I recover faster from pneumonia at home?
After pneumonia, rest, drink plenty of fluids, take paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever and pain, and finish the antibiotics even if you feel better. Do not smoke, avoid cough medicines, because coughing clears the lungs, and build up activity gradually. Most people improve within 2 to 4 weeks, but tiredness can last for months.
What is the difference between pneumonia and bronchitis?
Bronchitis is an infection of the airways that usually clears on its own within 3 weeks. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue itself, with a higher fever, breathlessness and sharp chest pain, and it usually needs antibiotics and a doctor’s examination.
Can you have pneumonia without a fever?
Yes. Older people and people with a weakened immune system may have pneumonia with little or no fever. In them, confusion, a fall, going off food or fast breathing can be the main signs, and they need a prompt medical assessment.
Can an online doctor diagnose pneumonia?
An online doctor can recognise the signs of pneumonia, count your breathing rate and decide how urgently you need to be seen. Confirming it usually needs a face-to-face examination and sometimes a chest X-ray, which the doctor arranges when the signs point to pneumonia.
When is pneumonia an emergency?
With pneumonia, call 112 or go to an emergency department if you are struggling to breathe or cannot speak, are coughing up blood, have suddenly become confused, or your lips, tongue or skin look pale, blue, grey or blotchy.
- Pneumonia: diagnosis and management (NG250), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2025.
- Suspected acute respiratory infection in over 16s: assessment at first presentation and initial management (NG237), NICE, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2023, updated 2025.
- Pneumonia, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 17 July 2026.
- Pneumonia, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), 2026.
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae, HPSC, Health Protection Surveillance Centre (Ireland), 2023.
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae surveillance: annual reports, UK Health Security Agency, 2025.
- The top 10 causes of death, WHO, World Health Organization, 2 October 2026.
- Causes of death statistics, Eurostat, European Commission, 2023 data, extracted February 2026.
- Typical bacterial pneumonia, Nguyen AD, Rajasurya V. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, updated 16 August 2026.
- Pneumonia, Cleveland Clinic, reviewed 16 April 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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