system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Which symptoms of the flu are caused by the virus itself and which are caused by our body trying to destroy the virus?
gpt
Symptoms of the flu are actually often caused by your body trying to rid itself of the virus; high fever is a way to try and kill the virus by essentially cooking it, but in the process destroys a lot of your own cells, which can make you feel tired and shitty.
Increased mucus production is a way to try and expel the virus from your system by trapping it, then sneezing or coughing it out. Tiredness can also be a result of energy being funnelled into your immune system to try and combat the virus.
The virus affects you by invading your cells, reprogramming them to create more viruses, then lysing (exploding) them, which can result in overall reduced physiological function.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also a bodily response to try and expel the virus.