People who die from AIDS are not killed by the virus itself. Explain.

Answer

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding AIDS and HIV**:
- AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). While HIV is a virus, AIDS is the condition that results from the prolonged infection by this virus.

2. **Mechanism of HIV**:
- When HIV enters the human body, it targets and infects the immune system cells, particularly CD4 T cells. These cells are crucial for the immune response.

3. **Impact on the Immune System**:
- The HIV virus replicates within these immune cells, leading to their gradual destruction. As the number of CD4 T cells decreases, the immune system becomes weaker.

4. **Consequences of a Weakened Immune System**:
- A weakened immune system cannot effectively fight off infections and diseases. This makes the body vulnerable to opportunistic infections, which are infections that take advantage of the weakened immune system.

5. **Causes of Death in AIDS Patients**:
- People with AIDS often die not from HIV itself, but from these opportunistic infections (like pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.) or other diseases that a healthy immune system would typically be able to combat.

6. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, it is accurate to say that people who die from AIDS are not killed by the HIV virus directly, but rather by the complications and infections that arise due to the severe weakening of their immune system caused by the virus.