With how often doctors prescribe antibiotics, no wonder many people perceive them as the end all be all of medication. This false sense of security makes antibiotic overuse a slippery slope. A study published in the journal Pediatrics back in 1999 revealed physicians wrote a prescription 62 percent of the time when they assumed a patient expected a prescription. Another study even found that doctors prescribed antibiotics to 29 percent of patients who didn’t want them.

“The best way to prevent transmission of Ebola in the United States, or any country for that matter, is to identify and quarantine those with the disease as soon as possible. However, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. was, unfortunately, released after coming to an emergency department, even though he had symptoms indicative of the disease,” says Aaron Carroll, Indiana University School of Medicine pediatrics professor and speaker in Healthcare Triage's video.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as colds, flu, most sore throats, and sinus and ear infections. They are, however, necessary when it comes to fighting illness caused by bacteria, including whooping cough, strep throat, and urinary tract infection. Contrary to what you may believe, antibiotics will not cure an infection caused by viruses, will not alleviate symptoms, and will not keep people around you from getting sick.