• Question: Do you think that there will a time when science is so advanced that it will be able to treat viruses in a similar way to bacteria?

    Asked by Jenny to Aaron, David, Elaine, Sarah, Zoe on 14 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: David Foley

      David Foley answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      We already can! We have turned HIV from a death sentence into a managable disease. Recently there has been a dramtic breakthrough in Hepatitis-C research which has led to a cure in 12 weeks.

    • Photo: Sarah Ashwood

      Sarah Ashwood answered on 14 Nov 2014:

      We can already treat viruses – it’s just as it is more complicated the treatments are more expensive and less readily available. As a number of simple viruses (tonsilitis, colds etc.) will eventually get better by themselves with plenty of rest and fluids then it is not worth dishing out expensive anti-viral medication when it is not necessary.
      More complex viruses are slowly becoming manageable if not cureable – as David has said HIV is now no longer a death sentence, and Hep-C is cureable. It is all just a matter of time and research.

Comments