Infectious Diseases Clinic Online
Specialist assessment of infections, fever, travel-related illness and recurrent infections — evidence-based investigation, interpretation of test results and follow-up.
- Appointments in Swedish, English and Arabic
- Evidence-based care
- Written plan after every visit
About the clinic
Infectious disease medicine is as much about deciding when antibiotics are NOT needed as when they are. Most infections are viral and resolve on their own — but among them sit a small number of bacterial ones that need rapid treatment, and the whole specialty turns on that distinction. Then there is the detective work: travel history, exposures and the time course are often what settle a diagnosis that would otherwise stay unclear.
We work systematically through your exposure history — travel, animals, work, contacts — which is often skipped in a short appointment but regularly turns out to be what explains the entire symptom picture.
Who we help
- You with a fever or a suspected infection
- You with recurrent infections
- You who have become ill after travelling
- You with a long-standing cough
- You with repeated urinary tract infections
- You with skin or soft tissue infections
- You with long-lasting fatigue after an infection
- You with gastrointestinal infections
- You with abnormal infection markers
- You with a suspected viral infection
- You who would like a second opinion
- You who need follow-up after a hospital stay
Symptoms
Conditions
- Urinary tract infection
- Post-infectious fatigue
- Gastrointestinal infection
- Skin and soft tissue infection
- Travel-related infection
- Tick-borne infection (Lyme disease)
- Chronic sinusitis
- Glandular fever (mononucleosis)
- Respiratory tract infection
- Fever of unknown origin — investigation support
Services and examinations
- A detailed infection history
- Review of microbiological samples and blood tests
- Assessment of inflammatory markers
- Travel medicine advice
- An antibiotics review
- Guidance on further investigations
How it works
- 1Book and describe your main problem online.
- 2Upload previous results if you have them — test results, examinations, medication list.
- 3Video consultation — review of your history and targeted questions.
- 4A clear plan — next steps, any treatment, and a timeframe for follow-up.
What to prepare
- A timeline of your symptoms (when it started, what triggers or relieves it)
- Current medications and doses
- Known allergies and previous illnesses
- Previous test results and examinations, with dates if possible
- Your three most important questions for the visit
Call your local emergency number immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if you have:
- During an ongoing infection: sudden confusion, rapid or laboured breathing, violent shivering, skin that has turned mottled, pale or bluish, or not having passed urine for a day — these can be signs of sepsis. Call your local emergency number. Fever does not have to be present.
- Severe breathing difficulties
- Confusion or a reduced level of consciousness
- Severe dehydration
- Fever together with headache and a stiff neck, often with sensitivity to light and nausea — this can be meningitis. Call your local emergency number. A rash that doesn't fade when you press on it points to meningococcal blood poisoning.
- A rapidly spreading skin rash
- Sudden severe weakness or collapse
Digital care cannot replace emergency services. If unsure, seek care immediately.
Our doctors
See available doctors and book an appointmentFrequently asked questions
When should I seek care for an infection?
For a prolonged or high fever, particularly alongside breathing difficulties or a general deterioration.
Can you interpret infection test results?
Yes.
Do I always need antibiotics for an infection?
No — many infections are caused by viruses and do not need antibiotics.
Can you make a diagnosis online?
An initial assessment is possible; some conditions require a physical examination.
Do you offer second opinions?
Yes — on diagnoses, investigations and treatments.
Can you assess travel-related illness?
Yes.
What do I do about severe breathing difficulty, or a high fever with a stiff neck?
Seek emergency care immediately — see the safety box.
Why am I not being given antibiotics?
Because most infections are viral, where antibiotics have no effect but do cause side effects and drive resistance.
How long should an infection normally last?
A cold lasts seven to ten days, and a cough can linger for several weeks afterwards. A fever lasting more than five days should always be assessed.
Can you decide whether I need antibiotics without seeing me in person?
In many cases yes, based on the symptom picture and how it has developed. Some infections do require examination or testing — we will say clearly when that applies to you.
Fifteen common conditions
Urinary tract infection
- Typical age
- All ages; more common in women.
- Background
- A bacterial infection of the urinary tract.
- Symptoms
- Burning on passing urine, frequent urgency, sometimes fever.
- What the doctor looks for
- Fever and flank pain.
- Investigations
- A urine test.
- Diagnosis
- Symptoms and a urine test.
- Management
- Antibiotics where needed.
- Follow-up
- If symptoms persist.
- Prognosis
- Good.
- What you can do yourself
- Drink plenty and pass urine often.
- When should you book?
- For symptoms lasting more than two days, or the same day if you have fever and flank pain.
Post-infectious fatigue
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Long-lasting fatigue after an infection has resolved.
- Symptoms
- Marked fatigue and reduced stamina.
- What the doctor looks for
- The link to a previous infection, with other causes ruled out.
- Investigations
- History, and blood tests to rule out other causes.
- Diagnosis
- Exclusion of other causes.
- Management
- Symptomatic support and gradual recovery.
- Follow-up
- If there is no improvement.
- Prognosis
- Good, but it can take time.
- What you can do yourself
- Return to activity gradually — neither complete rest nor a rapid return; both prolong the course.
- When should you book?
- If fatigue persists more than a month after the infection.
Gastrointestinal infection (gastroenteritis)
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Infection of the digestive tract, often viral or bacterial.
- Symptoms
- Diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea.
- What the doctor looks for
- Signs of dehydration.
- Investigations
- The clinical picture; samples are rarely necessary.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture.
- Management
- Fluid replacement.
- Follow-up
- If there are signs of dehydration — seek care.
- Prognosis
- Good; it usually resolves within a few days.
- What you can do yourself
- Fluid replacement in small, frequent amounts. Food can wait; fluids cannot.
- When should you book?
- For signs of dehydration, bloody diarrhoea, or symptoms lasting more than a week.
Skin and soft tissue infection
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- A bacterial infection of the skin or the tissue beneath it.
- Symptoms
- Redness, swelling, pain, sometimes an abscess forming.
- What the doctor looks for
- How far it extends, and signs that it is spreading.
- Investigations
- Clinical assessment of the area.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture.
- Management
- Antibiotics where needed.
- Follow-up
- If there is no improvement, or if it spreads.
- Prognosis
- Good with the right treatment.
- What you can do yourself
- Draw a line around the edge of the redness — then you can see straight away whether it is spreading.
- When should you book?
- If the redness is growing or you develop a fever. For rapid spread — emergency care.
Travel-related infection
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Illness arising during or after travel abroad.
- Symptoms
- Vary with the exposure — fever, digestive symptoms, skin symptoms.
- What the doctor looks for
- The destination, the time course, and the exposure history.
- Investigations
- Targeted testing based on where you travelled.
- Diagnosis
- Based on exposure and symptoms.
- Management
- Directed at the identified cause.
- Follow-up
- According to the findings.
- Prognosis
- Varies with the cause.
- What you can do yourself
- Note the exact destination, the dates, and what you were exposed to — that steers the whole investigation.
- When should you book?
- For a fever within three months of travel to the tropics, always.
Tick-borne infection (for example Lyme disease)
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- An infection transmitted through a tick bite.
- Symptoms
- Sometimes a characteristic skin rash, joint pain, fatigue.
- What the doctor looks for
- Tick exposure and the symptom picture.
- Investigations
- The clinical picture, sometimes a blood test.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture, with or without a test result.
- Management
- Antibiotics once the diagnosis is confirmed.
- Follow-up
- If symptoms persist.
- Prognosis
- Good with early treatment.
- What you can do yourself
- Remove the tick as soon as you can — the risk of infection rises the longer it stays attached.
- When should you book?
- For an expanding ring-shaped rash, or for fever and joint pain after a tick bite.
Chronic sinusitis
- Typical age
- Adults.
- Background
- Long-standing inflammation of the sinuses.
- Symptoms
- A blocked nose, facial pressure, recurrent episodes.
- What the doctor looks for
- The duration and previous attempts at treatment.
- Investigations
- The clinical picture.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture.
- Management
- Nasal rinsing and medication.
- Follow-up
- If there is no improvement.
- Prognosis
- Good with the right treatment.
- What you can do yourself
- Daily nasal rinsing works well and is under-used.
- When should you book?
- For symptoms lasting more than twelve weeks.
Glandular fever (mononucleosis)
- Typical age
- Most common in teenagers and young adults.
- Background
- A viral infection (Epstein–Barr virus).
- Symptoms
- Fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat, a long recovery.
- What the doctor looks for
- The combination of symptoms.
- Investigations
- The clinical picture, sometimes a blood test.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture, with or without a test result.
- Management
- Symptom relief and rest.
- Follow-up
- If fatigue drags on.
- Prognosis
- Good, but recovery can take weeks.
- What you can do yourself
- Avoid contact sports for at least four weeks — the spleen may be enlarged and fragile.
- When should you book?
- For prolonged fatigue, or for abdominal pain (which can indicate the spleen is affected).
Respiratory tract infection
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Infection of the upper or lower airways.
- Symptoms
- Cough, sometimes fever and effects on breathing.
- What the doctor looks for
- The breathing pattern and general condition.
- Investigations
- The clinical picture.
- Diagnosis
- The clinical picture.
- Management
- Symptom relief, sometimes antibiotics where the cause is bacterial.
- Follow-up
- If things get worse.
- Prognosis
- Good in most cases.
- What you can do yourself
- Rest, fluids, and something to bring the fever down. Antibiotics do not help when the cause is viral.
- When should you book?
- If your breathing is affected, or for a fever lasting more than five days.
Fever of unknown origin — investigation support
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- A prolonged fever with no clear explanation after the initial assessment.
- Symptoms
- Fever, often with a general deterioration.
- What the doctor looks for
- The pattern and the associated symptoms.
- Investigations
- A structured review, often with onward referral.
- Diagnosis
- Usually requires further investigation.
- Management
- According to the established cause.
- Follow-up
- Close, until the cause is established.
- Prognosis
- Varies with the underlying cause.
- What you can do yourself
- Keep a temperature chart with times — the pattern is often diagnostically valuable.
- When should you book?
- For a fever lasting more than a week with no explanation.
Fever after travel abroad
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Fever after travel to the tropics is one of the few situations in infectious disease medicine where the time factor is absolutely decisive. Malaria can develop into a life-threatening condition within days, and the most common reason for a serious outcome is delayed diagnosis — often because neither the patient nor the health service connected the fever to the journey.
- Common symptoms
- Fever, shivering, headache, muscle aches — often non-specific and easy to mistake for influenza.
- What the doctor looks for
- The exact destination, the date of return, whether malaria prophylaxis was taken, and the time from exposure to symptoms.
- Investigations
- A malaria test is urgent after travel to an endemic area; blood cultures, a full blood count, liver tests.
- How the assessment is made
- The travel history steers everything — without it the diagnosis is missed.
- Management
- Directed at the identified cause; malaria requires emergency treatment.
- Follow-up
- According to the diagnosis.
- Risk factors to know
- Travel to sub-Saharan Africa, prophylaxis not taken or taken incompletely, visiting friends and relatives (this group often takes less prophylaxis than tourists do), and people who grew up in malaria-endemic areas — that immunity fades after a few years away.
- Common misconception
- That you are out of danger once you are home. Malaria can break out months after you return.
- What you can do yourself
- Always mention the journey — even if it was several months ago, and even if you took prophylaxis.
- When should you book?
- For a fever within three months of travel to the tropics: seek care the same day, do not book an appointment.
- Prognosis
- Very good with early diagnosis; serious where it is delayed.
Antibiotic resistance and appropriate use
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to modern healthcare, and it is driven above all by unnecessary prescribing. For the individual patient, unnecessary antibiotics also mean side effects and a disturbed gut flora with no benefit at all — in viral infections there is no effect to be had.
- Common symptoms
- Not applicable — this concerns a treatment decision.
- What the doctor looks for
- Whether the symptom picture points to a bacterial or a viral cause.
- Investigations
- CRP and a strep test can help; clinical assessment is often enough.
- How the assessment is made
- By weighing the likelihood of bacterial infection against the harm of unnecessary treatment.
- Management
- Antibiotics only for bacterial infection; symptom relief otherwise.
- Follow-up
- If there is no improvement along the expected course.
- Risk factors to know
- Repeated courses of antibiotics, healthcare received abroad, previous resistant bacteria.
- Common misconception
- That yellow-green mucus means a bacterial infection. The colour comes from white blood cells and says nothing about the cause.
- What you can do yourself
- Always finish the whole course if you have been prescribed antibiotics, and never save leftovers for next time.
- When should you book?
- For an infection that isn't following the expected course, rather than in order to be given antibiotics.
- Prognosis
- Excellent — most infections heal well without antibiotics.
Prolonged fever without explanation
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- A fever lasting more than three weeks without a diagnosis despite an initial work-up is one of the classic diagnostic problems in infectious disease medicine. The causes divide roughly evenly between infection, inflammatory disease and malignancy — which makes a broad, structured investigation necessary rather than more tests at random.
- Common symptoms
- Fever, often with night sweats, weight loss and a general sense of being unwell.
- What the doctor looks for
- The fever pattern, the accompanying symptoms, travel history, animal contact and previous illnesses.
- Investigations
- Broad testing (blood cultures, inflammatory markers, autoantibodies, serology); imaging.
- How the assessment is made
- Systematically and step by step — not through individual tests.
- Management
- Directed at the established cause; antibiotics given on the off-chance are avoided because they make the diagnosis harder.
- Follow-up
- Close until the cause has been established.
- Risk factors to know
- A weakened immune system, travel, animal contact, a joint or heart valve prosthesis, previous exposure to tuberculosis.
- Common misconception
- That you should be given antibiotics "just in case". That often masks the cause and makes the diagnosis harder.
- What you can do yourself
- Keep a temperature chart with the time of day for two weeks — the pattern often points the way.
- When should you book?
- For a fever lasting more than three weeks with no explanation.
- Prognosis
- Most people get a diagnosis from a systematic investigation.
Infections with a weakened immune system
- Typical age
- All ages.
- Background
- People with a weakened immune system — because of treatment, illness or medication — can become seriously ill without the usual warning signs. Fever may be absent, and the course can be considerably faster. That means the threshold for seeking care should be lower, not higher.
- Common symptoms
- Often subtler than expected — fatigue, a slight fever, or simply a general sense of being unwell.
- What the doctor looks for
- The type of immune suppression, the current treatment, and even small deviations in general condition.
- Investigations
- Earlier and broader testing than in people with a normal immune system.
- How the assessment is made
- With a lower threshold for investigation and treatment.
- Management
- Antibiotics are often started earlier than in people with a normal immune system.
- Follow-up
- More frequent.
- Risk factors to know
- Chemotherapy, biological medicines, high-dose corticosteroids, transplantation, removal of the spleen, untreated HIV.
- Common misconception
- That you can wait and see as usual because the fever is low. With a weakened immune system, fever can be absent altogether despite a serious infection.
- What you can do yourself
- Always keep your treatment information to hand, and mention the immune suppression straight away at every healthcare contact.
- When should you book?
- At the slightest sign of infection — a lower threshold applies. For a fever during ongoing chemotherapy — emergency care the same day.
- Prognosis
- Good with early treatment; critically dependent on speed.
Vaccination cover in adults
- Typical age
- All adult ages.
- Background
- The protection from childhood vaccination fades over time, but few adults know which boosters apply. Diphtheria and tetanus cover needs renewing, and some groups have further recommendations — knowledge that rarely gets through until an injury or a trip makes the question urgent.
- Common symptoms
- Not applicable.
- What the doctor looks for
- Age, previous vaccinations, planned travel, occupation and underlying conditions.
- Investigations
- A review of the vaccination history; antibody testing where things are unclear.
- How the assessment is made
- From the current recommendations and your individual risk profile.
- Management
- Not applicable — vaccination takes place at a vaccination clinic.
- Follow-up
- According to the intervals.
- Risk factors to know
- Age over 65, chronic heart or lung disease, diabetes, a weakened immune system, removal of the spleen — all of these bring extended recommendations.
- Common misconception
- That childhood vaccinations last a lifetime. Tetanus and diphtheria need a booster roughly every twenty years.
- What you can do yourself
- Dig out your vaccination card — and if you cannot find it, your cover can often still be assessed from your age and year of birth.
- When should you book?
- Before travelling, where your cover is unclear, or if you belong to a risk group.
- Prognosis
- Not applicable.
Contact
The information on this page is general patient information and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Digital care has limitations and cannot handle emergencies — see the emergency box above. If you are unsure, contact healthcare services or your local emergency number.
About this content
This information draws on established Swedish clinical sources, primarily 1177 Vårdguiden, Internetmedicin and Läkemedelsboken. It is general patient information and does not replace individual medical assessment.
