Question: @Danny What is the difference between just a simple bacteria cold going around and an epidemic (the differences between bacteria and viruses).Is it because of the aggression or structure of it?

Danny Ward answered on 6 Nov 2018:

What often makes epidemic-worthy diseases so bad are their genetic codes. Their genetic code instructs a virus for example to hijack a host (like you or I) and use it for survival. The viruses can leave a trail of destruction by killing the host or making them really sick to aid their survival. Their genetic codes also instruct the virus how to spread. During times of year when people are often in closer proximity, these viruses can spread very quickly. Similar case with bacteria. An epidemic like ebola was much more sever than cold or flu because the ebola virus’ genetic information encodes for nasty biological proteins which cause havoc on the infected host and their immune system. These biological proteins would not be present in cold or flu. Just a side point, a cold is an infection caused by a virus, not a bacteria….a common misconception! 🙂