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Mystery #3Tier 2โ€“3microbes / medicine

Why don't antibiotics cure a cold?

Antibiotics are amazing โ€” they can clear up a nasty infection in days. So why does the doctor refuse to give you any for a streaming cold, saying they "won't work"? If they fight germs, why not cold germs?

A course of antibiotic capsules
Photo: Sage Ross ยท CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch โ€” why won't antibiotics help a cold, when they fight other germs so well?

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