[Verdex]

Yes. Your statement is correct. It's "basically harmless" once it enters your body until it bumps into nerve cells. At which point you're almost certainly going to die unpleasantly.

My grandfather worked with rabies and I interviewed him for a school project. I remember being rather uncomfortable with his description of the disease. Perhaps a bit much to chew for a 4th grader. Anyway, the "once you show symptoms, you're dead" part really stuck with me.