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The innate immunity, i.e. phagocytosis, is not particularly good at dealing with viruses. In fact, it has been argued, in Delves and Sompayrac for starters, that the adaptive immune system evolved to defend us against these little bastards. Your are right about phagocytes mopping up after wards, but it is the lymphocytes that control virus infections. So, not really part of this article as such. But your are right. Some readers will wonder about viruses, so the article needs to mention them more, if only to say that phagocytes can't handle them alone. This will not be difficult to add and I will write it today. With regard to green snot during a viral infection—secondary bacterial infections, opportunistically infecting the damaged tissues, are no doubt to blame.  Talk "