How Do Antiviral Drugs Work

How Do Antiviral Drugs Work ?

Viruses are internal parasites that enter our body via various means and take over the cells in our body. They are parasites because they depend on our bodies for food and energy and essentially, for life. Viruses attach themselves inside the cell unlike the bacteria that can reproduce outside the cell.

When viruses take over the cell, they either destroy the cell by consuming all the minerals, or they intrude upon the workings of the cell. Sometimes, they interfere with the replication of DNA and lead to cancerous growth. But one thing is for sure, the virus replication depends on the cell. All this happens when the virus is immune to the body’s defense mechanisms and can override the immunity of the host.

Usually, antiviral drugs are designed to improve the immunity of the cell to the proteins of the virus and strengthen it. It thereby avoids the destruction of cell and the virus’s replication. Sometimes, the antiviral drugs, themselves, are destructive to the virus because of some harmful chemical. The antiviral drugs also interfere with the replication or reproduction of the viruses themselves, sometimes.

But, on the whole, antiviral drugs are more difficult than anti-bacterial drugs. This is because the chemicals that can destroy the virus can in turn harm the cell too. Sometimes, vaccines can be made by the reaction of the human body to that of the virus where the virus infection has been destroyed.

Most antiviral drugs are given by mouth (orally) or sometimes by injections too. In case of a viral infection, antibiotics have no ground.

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How Do Antiviral Drugs Work