Why can't our current medicine kill a virus???

Answer 1

because a virus goes into our blood cells take all the nutrients, multiply and then there are so many of that same virus in that blood cell that the cell bursts open because of all the density and causing the millions of virus's to latch on to other cells and so on, its kind of like a telephone chain, it just keeps growing until most of our white blood cells are gone causing to us be venerable and maybe even die of something simple like a cold.

Answer 2

Killing viruses is not that hard. It's killing all the viruses but not killing the human cells that they have invaded that is hard. Since viruses are not exactly "living" there is also a terminology issue. Viruses use the cells manufacturing process to make more viruses and in the process can sometimes add DNA to human genes (in the case of retroviruses). Our immune system has a hard time recognizing and attacking certain viruses, especially those that mutate quickly or that do not have stable antigens. Most of the anti-viral drugs (including HIV drugs) are aimed at blocking the enzymes that the virus steals from the cells to replicate. But these enzymes are the cell's enzymes and are needed by the cell as well.

Answer 3

In addition to the good description above of how viruses and anti-virals work, remember that a virus can't be killed because it isn't alive. It is a particle of protein and nucleic acid that hijacks a living cell. Bacteria can be killed by drugs that affect their own metabolism directly. A virus has nothing to attack with a conventional drug. Immunotherapy (antibodies) may help identify the virus as foreign, but they don't kill it.

Answer 4

Viruses use our bodies own protein/DNA system to replicate themselves. Therefore, medicine that works to shut down viruses also have the side effect of potentially shutting down your bodies ability to properly work. This is also the same reason why it is harder to clear a fungal infection (they are, like us, eukaryotes)

Secondly, viruses are very good at hiding. They need to be inside of a cell to reproduce, so that is where they go. There are very few pathogenic bacteria that do this, Chlamydias Rickettsias come to mind. But if the organism is outside of the cell, it is easier to kill. This is even more true when you take into consideration point 1.

Good antibiotics use mechanisms that are unique to bacteria, and are therefore only minimally harmful to us. For example, bacteria have cell walls that are composed of different chemicals than our own, they also have different "essential" needs than us.
In short, we can kill viruses (bleach, ionization radiation etc...) it is just that we would kill you in the process.

See therapeutic index.

Answer 5

medicine or antibiotics only work to kill living organisms. viruses are not living organisms they cannot reproduce on their own. they use their hosts cells as a virus replicating factory. they lack the complexity of living organism, they are made up of a protein coat, capsid that protects dna or rna.

Answer 6

Our current anti-viral medicines are not extremely effective. The drugs that are being used for HIV infections (viral) are getting better all the time though.

The meds we have are mostly antibacterial.

Answer 7

THe medicine could be old.

Answer 8

good one.I am eager to know too.
The viruses are injected in our body but y can't they be killed?
I think its because of their characteristic that they become active in living things only.

Answer 9

it can fight the virus

Answer 10

It can. Duh. Why do you think there are doctors and medicines. They can prevent them too. (SHOTS)