Treatment with antiviral medication
Antiviral medication is available for a few viral infections, such as the flu (influenza), COVID-19, hepatitis viruses, an infection with herpes viruses or HIV. The reason for this is that, unlike bacteria, viruses are very small, have no metabolism of their own and only multiply within cells. As a result, they offer little target for drugs. The medication is usually swallowed, but can also be injected into a vein or muscle. Antiviral drugs – such as protease inhibitors – work by inhibiting the formation (reproduction) of new viruses. Protease inhibitors are used, for example, for chronic hepatitis C or HIV infection. However, antiviral drugs are not suitable in every case. They can be poisonous (toxic) to human cells and may cause side effects such as fever, chills, weakness and muscle pain. In some cases, viruses can also react insensitively (resistant) to the medication.