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SURELY it can be treated, people thought at first. It’s a flu virus – how hard can it be?
But as we’re seeing, it’s very hard. Very hard in deed.
Covid19 is a new strain from the coronavirus family which means no one knows how to treat it yet.
Scientists are racing against time to find a vaccine and in the meantime, people are dying in their tens of thousands.
It’s terrifying stuff. Antibiotics are use less – they only work on bacterial infections. So what exactly is the difference between a viral and a bacterial infection? And why is the one so much harder to treat than the other?
WHAT ARE BACTERIA?
Bacteria are tiny microorganisms that comprise a single cell. They’re quite di verse and come in a wide variety of shapes and structural features. They can live in almost every conceivable environment, including in or on the human body.
Only a handful of bacteria cause infec tions in humans. These are known as pathogenic bacteria.
“Most bacteria are harmless or even helpful and assist in the digestion of food, fighting cancer cells and provid ing nutrients,” says Professor Wolfgang Preiser, a pathologist and consultant virologist at Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape.
“Fewer than 1% of bacteria cause dis eases in people.”
WHAT’S A VIRUS?
Viruses share certain characteristics with bacteria – they’re also tiny micro organisms, although they’re even small er, and they too are diverse.
This story is from the 9 April 2020 edition of YOU South Africa.
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This story is from the 9 April 2020 edition of YOU South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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