IMMUNOLOGY

How Do Viruses Actually Work?

The form and function of life’s oldest enemy

Medical scientists have two lives, and the second one begins when they realize immunology is the orchestra of all life symphonies.
— Tak W. Mak, immunologist

The guard mistakes the agent by his uniform and lets him in the gate. Once inside, the agent moves about the small operation casually, testing locks. Eventually, one opens; he gains entrance to the control room.

The agent uses his protein garment to access the mainframe and inject his code. Soon, the little warehouse begins producing clones, assembling copied strands of code packaged in the same disguise.

Workers blindly package the bundles and ship them out like the rogue headquarters they have unknowingly become. Every replica is programmed to do just one thing: infiltrate another cell, usurp another operation, and convert into another headquarters for a total blitz using the enemy’s own fuel, systems, and personnel.

Thankfully, undercover auditors roam. As the coup proceeds, a small team of internal agents quietly steals a bit of uniform to fashion into a flag and sneak the protein signal through the wall to warn the outside: this team has fallen. We are owned and working for an enemy, use this protein and make weapons to destroy us.

Just like those inside at least 24 million people this winter, this cell has become infected with a…