In current vanilla DayZ, Common Cold is Stage 1 of a respiratory progression, Influenza is Stage 2, and Pneumonia is the final dangerous stage. The progression is driven by low Heat Comfort. A survivor who stays warm can stop the chain from advancing and can recover from the earlier stages; a survivor who remains cold gives the disease time to escalate.
Cold, Flu and Pneumonia are one progression chain
This is why “I am sneezing” and “I am dying from pneumonia” are not interchangeable diagnoses. The symptoms and urgency change as the stage changes.
Stage 1: Common Cold
The key symptom is Sneezing. The Cold can appear after prolonged low Heat Comfort, from nearby infected survivors, or from contaminated food/water/blood. If the survivor restores temperature to neutral/white or warmer and keeps it there, the infection can fade instead of progressing. Tetracycline and Multivitamins are also supported treatments, and a strong natural immune system can clear the illness.
Sneezing is not harmless in PvP. It can alert nearby survivors and even nearby infected, and respiratory illness can spread through close contact. Shared partly consumed food and water can also keep the infection circulating between teammates.
Stage 2: Influenza
Influenza adds Coughing and Fever to the Sneezing pattern. Fever increases Water drain and causes forehead-wiping/blur; a Medical Thermometer can confirm Fever. Staying at neutral/white Heat Comfort prevents progression and supports recovery. Tetracycline and Multivitamins can treat Influenza, and high natural immunity can also work before the disease reaches Pneumonia.
Stage 3: Pneumonia
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Stage | Symptoms | What actually stops progression / treats it |
|---|---|---|
Common Cold | Sneezing | Stay neutral/warm; Tetracycline, Multivitamins or strong immunity can clear. |
Influenza | Sneezing + Coughing + Fever / blur | Stay warm; Tetracycline and/or Multivitamins; strong immunity can help. |
Pneumonia | Above symptoms + gasping + severe stamina penalty + Health loss | Tetracycline required to regress to Influenza; then finish earlier stages. |
Pneumonia is the critical boundary. In addition to Sneezing, Coughing and Fever, it increases stamina drain, slows stamina recovery, causes gasping and continuously damages Health. Warmth and Multivitamins alone are no longer enough to cure this final stage. Tetracycline is required to push Pneumonia back down to Influenza; after that, the earlier-stage treatment options matter again.
Temperature is part of treatment
A blue temperature icon is not just a comfort problem. The colder the survivor stays, the faster the hidden respiratory-disease timer can move toward infection/progression. A fireplace heat buff gives temporary protection after leaving the heat source. On Sakhal, route planning therefore becomes medical planning: know where the next shelter/fire is before the current Heat Buffer disappears.
Medication timing
One Tetracycline effect lasts about five minutes. Taking duplicate pills at the same moment does not stack them into a stronger effect; wait for the current medication window to end before using another necessary dose. Tetracycline and Multivitamins are different medicines and can work at the same time.
Codeine can reduce the frequency of sneezing/coughing symptoms, which helps stealth, but symptom suppression is not the same as curing the infection.
Prevent teammate reinfection
• Keep distance from sneezing/coughing teammates when practical.
• Use suitable masks/face protection when close contact cannot be avoided.
• Do not share partly consumed food or drink with an infected survivor.
• Replace or properly treat contaminated water after recovery so the survivor does not reinfect themself.
• Keep Heat Comfort neutral or better before assuming the infection is “just a minor cold.”