Opinion Piece by Guest Writer Jean Mudge
Our times are seemingly dominated by untruths, from deceptions to outright lies. And their influence expands when, in some quarters, they’re irrationally perpetuated.
But also in our times, in large part thanks to COVID, one truth so pervades society that it has become self-evident: Microbes coexist & compete with us. Whether it’s bacteria, viruses, fungi or other unseen life, we humans are always on stage with them in this great Act of Existence. Bacterial cells, for example, outnumber our own about two to one. We evolved from them, and they daily help us digest our food. Further, each of us combines a unique mix of microbes in our bodies, our own special “microbiomes.” You and I are totally individualistic, never-to-be-repeated separate ecosystems!
In this intimacy with microbes, we should be happy and rejoice: On the macro level, we’ve long recognized our global connection to the whole world and even to the universe–stardust is part of our bodies. Now we’re becoming aware of how profoundly linked we are to the micro level as well. In short, the cosmos, large and small, runs through us. Furthermore, if we’re people of faith–as Ralph Waldo Emerson was in his idiosyncratic way–we can lean on his observation in one of his two favorite essays, “Worship”: “Divinity is in the atoms.” In short, two unseen worlds–belief and science–interpenetrate. They may even unite.
OK, this is all well and good, you say. But what about our knowledge that some microbes, following evolution’s laws, naturally mutate into our fatal enemies? Bacteria resistant to antibiotics–so called “superbugs”–have been the final cause of death in 30 to 50% of COVID’s weakened victims. They will also be such executioners in future pandemics. Emerson acknowledged this inevitable counterforce in his other favorite essay, “Fate.” And his ardent fan, Emily Dickinson, put it succinctly, “Nature a fickle mother is.”
So what do we do about these truths? Armed with them, we get smart. Doing so, we get sensitive and cautious. We follow the best advice of head (science) and heart (faith). We honor and respect the power of microbes as close givens to us, often to our benefit. We acknowledge that the span of evolution is long–to borrow a sentence structure from Martin Luther King, Jr.–but with our best efforts, it may be bent toward the good: our health, our survival. As variants of COVID arise, we can support scientific research and strengthen public health defenses in our large and small communities. Personally, we can continue to practice good hygiene, mask, vaccinate, and even–if we have to–distance ourselves again. But maybe our fast-growing knowledge of microbes’ challenges will minimize these precautions–except for mask-wearing. Who among us didn’t notice that with regular mask wearing, we didn’t even get a cold, much less the flu, last winter?
Jean Mudge, writer and
co-producer of the documentary BEATING SUPERBUGS: CAN WE WIN? See www.beatingsuperbugs.com for access to the film on three streaming
platforms.