Your doctor will usually follow up with additional tests if they’re concerned with the sounds that your lungs are making. These tests could include:
a chest X-ray
a complete blood count (CBC) test to distinguish between bacterial and viral infection
a CT scan of your chest to check your lung function
a sputum culture to test secretions from your lungs
a nasal swab test to check for viruses such as the flu
a bronchoscopy, which is rarely needed for diagnosing viral pneumonia but allows your doctor to look into your airways