What is the difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection?
Both viral infections and bacterial infections can be quite severe, and one of the main differences between them is that our treatment of viral infections is generally limited, whereas we have many more treatment options for bacterial infections. How do bacteria and viruses behave differently? The growth of bacteria does not require the presence of living cells. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria, and require living cells in order to live and replicate. As a result, they are often difficult to isolate or grow in culture. Bacteria will grow readily in culture and are more easily identified. If, in the vast majority of cases, antibiotics are not effective in the treatment of viruses, why are they so often prescribed to patients with viral illnesses? I think the main reason is that patients nowadays have been educated about infections, and have seen how antibiotics work. They’ve had an infection, taken antibiotics, and gotten better, or they have friends who have had infections, recei
