3 ms·

But do we need to cure all viruses? Do we know that all are hostile to humans?

• sp332 15y ago
  No, but if you get a really bad viral infection, you don't have to hope that there is a drug around that has been developed to kill that particular disease. You can just take this drug and know that it will cure you.
• Symmetry 15y ago
  As far as I'm aware viruses don't do anything positive for humans, though they can swap genes around and so allow bacteria to evolve more quickly. This is in sharp contrast to antibiotics where we really do rely on a huge number of symbiotic bacteria. So it seems that anti-virus drugs are a much safer thing than the antibiotics we already use.
  • tim_buck 15y ago
    Humans have repurposed viral mechanisms for gene therapy, so this is actually untrue. In addition, "germ theory" and early science related to antibiotics and widespread misinformation led people to think all microbes were bad. Now people realize that that we have flora on the outside and inside of our bodies that are helpful and part of our body's ecosystem. Viruses will likely in the future be understood to do more than just hurt us and introduce genetic mutations.