Our understanding of viruses has grown substantially in the past few decades as research reveals more of the major causes of human disease, but our ability to deal with them seems to be frustratingly limited.
There is a reason viruses are very much harder to deal with than bacteria. While bacteria have their own metabolism, we can interfere with their action and eliminate them with antibiotics and antiseptic solutions, however the problem with viruses is strangely enough, the fact that they are structured simply. While bacteria have their own metabolism that we can ‘attack’ viruses do not. They are quite simple primitive organisms that multiply by taking over and controlling cells in our body and basically use our metabolism to carry out their overriding and multiplying action. This makes it difficult to kill a virus without killing our own cells. It is interesting to note that viruses can take on a crystalized format and can go into storage for thousands of years without degrading and then when exposed become active again- as in recent times.