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Question
It is recommended that we should not take an antibiotic for a viral infection like a cold, a cough, or flu. Can you provide the possible reason for this recommendation?
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Answer
A bacterial infection
A viral infection
Caused by bacteria.
Caused by a virus — a cold, a cough or the flu.
An antibiotic targets parts of the bacterial cell.
A virus has no such parts to target.
The antibiotic kills the bacteria.
The antibiotic does nothing at all.
Take it only when a doctor prescribes it.
Taking it anyway only breeds resistant bacteria.
Antibiotics work only on bacteria, not viruses, and misusing them causes antibiotic resistance.
Explanation
- Cold, cough, and flu are caused by viruses, not bacteria.
- Antibiotics target bacterial cells, so they cannot kill viruses.
- Taking them when not needed leads to antibiotic resistance.
Viruses cause colds and flu, so antibiotics do not help and only risk resistance.
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