Right. If our immune system didn't get better at fighting something, you would remain infected forever or die from it. Reference HIV as an example of a virus our immune system could not fight.

If anyone is getting better (and 98%+ of people are) it's because the immune system can effectively fight it.

Wow, I didn’t even think of it like that. That’s a great way to reason about it that makes it immediately clear. Thanks!

Or it could go dormant, like the herpes virus.

Maybe it's sort of survivor bias. Maybe antivirals don't weaken immunity but people who survived thanks to antivirals have innately such a weak immune response that they wouldn't have survived without them.

Huh? Antivirals just eliminate the virus before the immune system gets a chance to step in and build up immunity. How about that?

I don't think that's true. I don't think they give antivirals to people before they have fever.

And fever is one of the results of immune system working.

Sure, but the body still isn't done building up immunity.

Miniscule amount of pathogen in the vaccine can give you full immunity. I think when you have fever your immune system was already exposed to enough of the virus to build full immunity for the future. Now it's just the case of whether you survive to enjoy your future immunity. And anti-virals just help you with that part.

Okay, I'm not a doctor, so maybe you're right. It just doesn't seem plausible. Though, that doesn't mean much.