https://www.pitara.com/tags/viruses/Recent content in Viruses on Pitara Kids NetworkHugoen-usSat, 13 Jun 2026 21:46:31 +0530https://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/5ws-and-h/what-is-a-virus/Sat, 16 May 2020 10:28:31 +0000https://www.pitara.com/science-for-kids/5ws-and-h/what-is-a-virus/<p>Viruses are these tiny, invisible structures that cause infections. They make us sick. There are millions of viruses in our environment but only about 5000 have been identified by scientists. The ones you may have heard of are the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV and the Novel Coronavirus or Covid-19.</p> <h3 id="what-do-viruses-look-like">What do viruses look like?</h3> <figure class="image-portrait-right has-caption"> <a href="https://www.pitara.com/media/virus-sars-cov-2.png" aria-label="Link to larger image"> <img src="https://www.pitara.com/media/virus-sars-cov-2_hu_26e26bc56a42a491.png" width="450" height="452" alt="Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)" loading="lazy"> </a> <figcaption>Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)</figcaption> </figure> <p>Do you think that a virus is some creepy, crawly thing? It is not. A virus is a non-living thing. It is invisible to the human eye. A virus is one hundred times smaller than a bacteria, which is why most viruses cannot be seen even under a microscope.</p>