What does treating a sickness/infection do?

[Burki from Turki]

I guess treating a sickness infection only slows down the sickness' growth rate or it improves the immunity gain speed? Does it do both or only one?

[Glerk]

It only slows down the speed of the sickness.

EDIT:

https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Doctoring#Treatment

"...while tending to illnesses slows them down allowing your colonists' immune systems to catch up and pull ahead."
"Each individual treatment can have any quality from 0 - 100%. Higher quality makes infections less likely and slows down illnesses more."

This video, although from Alpha 16, should still be relevant unless i missed some major change: start at 5:05
https://youtu.be/1qZGpAiLjao?t=305

[flu007]

Actually, no, it increases the immunity gain speed.

More specifically, the tend quality influences the immunity gain speed, alongside a number of other factors, like the age of the patient, whether he's in bed or not, the type of bed, and a few other factors.

https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Immunity_Gain_Speed

You basically want to make sure the immunity gain speed reaches 100% before the disease does, or the patient dies.

[Burki from Turki]

Originally posted by flu007:

Actually, no, it increases the immunity gain speed.

More specifically, the tend quality influences the immunity gain speed, alongside a number of other factors, like the age of the patient, whether he's in bed or not, the type of bed, and a few other factors.

https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Immunity_Gain_Speed

You basically want to make sure the immunity gain speed reaches 100% before the disease does, or the patient dies.

I was aware of many factors, since I keep checking ill colonists around 2 times a day, I pay attention to their health conditions. But I wasn't sure about the treating, thanks.

[flu007]

Yup, and the tend quality can be the determining factor in that equation. The tend quality is determined by the skill of the doctor and the type of medicine they use. A skilled doctor with high quality meds ('Medicine' or 'Glitterworld medicine') vs. a mediocre doctor with Herbal medicine or even without medicine, makes a significant difference.

[Burki from Turki]

Originally posted by flu007:

Yup, and the tend quality can be the determining factor in that equation. The tend quality is determined by the skill of the doctor and the type of medicine they use. A skilled doctor with high quality meds ('Medicine' or 'Glitterworld medicine') vs. a mediocre doctor with Herbal medicine or even without medicine, makes a significant difference.

I have good doctors and medical beds, I get around 95-100% treatment quality. My medical service is best, I mostly don't get infections because injuries are healed before infections show up.

[flu007]

Yeah, good facilities certainly help to avoid wound infections.

Wound infections aren't very dangerous though, especially once your hospital is in decent shape. They're only really an issue very early game when your hospital is a sleeping spot on a dirt floor, for instance. Or if the patient has other health issues and you don't keep him in bed, perhaps. But generally they're no big issue.

Infectious diseases are more dangerous though, and it's there that those different factors that influence immunity gain speed can start making a decisive difference.