Actually, I do know something about viruses. My aged mother once got shingles - a horrible painful episode.
Apparently, everyone who once had chicken pox has the potential to be afflicted with shingles... she actually wanted to die - my sister and I spent the time with her round the clock in the hospital then. I thought she was going to die.
Her medicine? The same medicine people use for herpes.
Valtrex?
It does make the shingles outbreak pass a little quicker.