ELi5 if viruses cant survive in high temperatures, why do we try to lower our temperature when we have a fever?

Question

ELi5 if viruses cant survive in high temperatures, why do we try to lower our temperature when we have a fever?

In: 3

Answer 1

People are giving extreme cases here of life-threatening fever.

For most folks (particularly adults), the fever’s never going to be nearly high enough to be dangerous.

But it makes you feel awful, and your body can still beat the virus on its own without it, so you lower your temperature to feel a little bit better while still being sick.