eli5: Why do different viruses have different symptoms?
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Because they “attack” different parts of the body. A rhinovirus only is able to reproduce in the nose environment, while HPV only lives on the skin. HIV thrives off of the immune system, while corona needs a respiratory system to survive. Different bodily systems under attack warrant different immune responses, and thus different symptoms.
Different viruses want to live in different cells. Different cells have different jobs. When a virus interferes with a particular population of cells, they don’t do their jobs as well. Hence, different symptoms.
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