Treating Viral Infections Flashcards

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What is a virus?

A very small particle that can only reproduce inside the cells of a living thing.

Why are viral infections hard to treat without harming the body?

Viruses live and reproduce inside your body cells. Drugs that kill the virus may also harm those cells.

Why do antibiotics not work on viral infections like colds or flu?

Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. Viruses have a different structure and live inside cells, so antibiotics cannot reach them.

What is an antiviral drug?

A medicine that is designed to slow down or stop viruses reproducing in the body.

How might an antiviral drug stop a virus from spreading in the body?

It may stop the virus entering body cells or stop it copying its genetic material. This means fewer new viruses are made.

Why is it difficult to develop safe antiviral drugs?

Viruses use our own cells to reproduce. A drug that harms the virus may also harm body cells. Viruses can also change (mutate) quickly, so a drug that works at first may stop working.

What does it mean to ‘treat the symptoms’ of a viral infection?

It means easing how you feel, not killing the virus. For example, using painkillers to lower a fever or medicine to calm a cough.

How does your immune system help you recover from a viral infection?

White blood cells make antibodies that join to the virus and help destroy it. Some white blood cells become memory cells so they can respond faster next time.

How does vaccination help protect you from some viral diseases?

A vaccine contains a weak or dead form of a virus. It makes your immune system produce antibodies and memory cells, so you are protected if the real virus infects you.

Why might someone with HIV need to take antiviral drugs for many years?

HIV can stay in the body for life. Long-term antiviral drugs keep the level of the virus low and slow down damage to the immune system.