Gargle with salt water, my love! About a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. gargle at least three mouthsfull at a time. It does tend to disinfect the mucous membranes, and you really don't want any opportunistic microbial infections happening. If you can find those horrific zinc throat lozenges, you can damn near galvanise your throat, but it's worth it.

White speckles sounds like Strep throat to me.