COVID-19

Why are there so many drugs to kill bacteria, but so few to tackle viruses?

Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (green) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow), also known as novel coronavirus, isolated from a patient sample. Image captured at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT - RC29RF9I0B4U

Antivirals - to tackle viruses like COVID-19 - are much harder to develop. Image: via REUTERS

Christine Carson
Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia
Rachel Roper
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University
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