I rarely read the Reader’s Digest, but I read an article about a Superbug not long ago. It was, in the typical yellow journalism way of Reader’s Digest, alarming and I was slightly concerned, but got over it quickly.  Yesterday the principal of my kids’ high school sent an email (and letter) out alerting the school community that a student was diagnosed with a drug-resistant staph infection. Then today we got an email saying that several news teams were broadcasting from outside the school, but not to worry – there were no more cases reported.

The second email mentioned the lack of hot water and soap in the bathrooms (it is advised to wash your hands to prevent spreading this disease) and my daughter agreed. The principal assured us that the students would see an improvement in that area.

This morning I finished Jon Krakauer’s harrowing Into the Wild and thought how terrible it was that the young man in the story abandoned civilization for a few months and died as a result of it, hoping that my son would never do anything so impulsive. Maybe Chris McCandless had the right idea – after all he didn’t have communicable diseases to worry about. Most of the students that have gotten the disease in this area are athletes. My son is a wrestler – the most contact of contact sports. I wouldn’t be surprised if they canceled wrestling this year.

I wonder how much of this we brought on ourselves. Using antibiotics when they were not needed. Using antibacterial hand wash instead of soap and water. (Tony Fauci just confirmed my theory on the 6:00 news).

If it’s not one thing, it’s something else. At least I quit worrying about terrorism.