PANDEMIC

 The last time I wrote on Pandemic, I promised a word on Bacteria and Bacteria versus Virus.  Here goes.

Unlike a virus, a bacteria is alive.  Bacteria are self-sufficient.  Unlike virus, they don't need another cell to exist or multiply.  They can live almost anywhere.  Compared to a virus, bacteria are huge - many times larger.  Bacterial infections are usually confined to a single part of the body.  Remember, a virus can spread to many places in the body.  

Typical bacterial diseases include staph infections, pneumonia, cholera, tuberculosis, E coli, tetanus and food poisoning.  Most sexually transmitted diseases are caused by bacteria.  Bacterial diseases can be fought with antibiotics.  Remember that virus cannot be killed this way because the live inside one of our cells.  

Not all bacteria are bad.  These are the little critters that go to work in your garden compost to break down edible matter.  They tell you when your bread is too old by turning it green.  Bacterial organisms in your intestines aid in your digestion and other body functions.

To sum up; both virus and bacteria can be bad but bacteria are more easily handled, especially, if discovered early enough.  Alcohol or soap will kill or wash away bacteria.  Good hygiene is the number one preventative measure.  Our biggest problem with bacteria is the over-use of antibiotics.  The little buggers are getting harder and harder to kill.  Don't use antibiotics unless you have to.