Pneumonia

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Pneumonia

How is viral pneumonia treated?

Photo of a woman taking tablets

If is caused by a and not by , medications called antivirals may be given – depending on the type of and the severity of the . But are often given as well.

Antiviral drugs are specially designed to fight viruses. The various types work in different ways: Some block enzymes that the needs to infect human cells, for example. Others stop the from reproducing.

There is very little research into the use of antivirals in the treatment of viral pneumonia, though. So it's still not clear whether antiviral drugs can stop a viral from developing into and – if so – which types of antiviral drugs can do this. It is also not clear which medications can reduce the severity of viral and make it go away quicker.

Who can use which medications?

Flu viruses are mainly treated with neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir and zanamivir. But these medications are only recommended for people who are treated in hospital because they have severe symptoms, or for those who are more likely to have complications due to things like other illnesses or older age.

Only the antiviral drug known as remdesivir is currently conditionally approved for the treatment of caused by COVID-19. It is used if the person is having so much trouble breathing that they need extra oxygen.

Why are antibiotics also given?

In viral , there is a risk that might also attack the infected lung tissue. That can make the illness worse. For this reason, people with viral are often given as well. Antibiotics don't help to fight off the viruses, but they can prevent a bacterial from developing.

What else is done?

People who have severe viral and difficulty breathing might be given extra oxygen. If their lung function is very weak, mechanical ventilation may be needed too. Steroids might be used as well. For example, the steroid-like drug dexamethasone is given to people who have developed as a result of a coronavirus and who need mechanical ventilation.

Very ill people are usually also given a blood-thinning medication to prevent thromboses (blood clots). They are kept under observation in the intensive care unit.

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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internistische Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin (DGIIN), Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (DIVI), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pneumologie und Beatmungsmedizin (DGP) et al. S3-Leitlinie Empfehlungen zur Therapie von Patienten mit COVID-19 (Living Guideline). AWMF register no.: 113-001. 2025.

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IQWiG health information is written with the aim of helping people understand the advantages and disadvantages of the main treatment options and health care services.

Because IQWiG is a German institute, some of the information provided here is specific to the German health care system. The suitability of any of the described options in an individual case can be determined by talking to a doctor. informedhealth.org can provide support for talks with doctors and other medical professionals, but cannot replace them. We do not offer individual consultations.

Our information is based on the results of good-quality studies. It is written by a team of health care professionals, scientists and editors, and reviewed by external experts. You can find a detailed description of how our health information is produced and updated in our methods.

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How is viral pneumonia treated?

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Updated on January 14, 2026

Next planned update: 2029

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Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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