A computer virus may be removed by either an antivirus program or by complete erasure of the infected storage medium. Appropriate treatment of a computer virus infection depends on the nature of the virus attack. On the other hand, removal of malicious viruses can leave damaged program and data files or corrupted directories. The only way to recover the files is from backup copies made before the virus infection. Unlike human viral infection, reinfection with computer viruses is common.
Contact tracing can stop when all contacts are known to be virus free.
In general, it is unlikely your computer will catch a virus from original software distribution disks, especially from reputable companies. However, viruses have been spread on original software disks in the past, possibly by disgruntled employees, so you can never be too careful. Lastly, and most importantly, we must recognise the value of our data and the importance of protecting it. To this end, practical guidelines are summarised above . References Patterson R. Cyberspace surgery.