Bacteria vs. Viruses: The Microbial Difference
Intro to Germs
Prior to COVID-19, we'd pass all manner of people on the street daily. This contact led to a transmission of microbes that are regularly called germs, however "germ" is a broad term that often leads to a lot of misconceptions. It's the reason why many people don't know the difference between Bacteria and Viruses, nor do they know that the means of cleaning and disinfection for an area that's come into contact with bacterial germs or virus germs is quite different.
Bacteria Vs. Viruses
Molecular Biology has taught us that Bacteria comes in many shapes and sizes. There is good bacteria and bad bacteria. The good bacteria is commonly known to help with digestion, while some bad bacteria can cause well known sicknesses like strep throat or tuberculosis. However, Viruses commandeer the cells adjacent to them to produce more of the virus. Creating and mutating more forms of the common cold as well as things like the Chicken Pox. In the case of a person being sick, antibiotics are good for a bacteria infection while vaccines are the usual route for a virus. Now in a COVID-19 riddled world, most of us are concerned with preventative measures. How do we ensure the cleaning and disinfection of areas that are high risk? By understanding how they function at a base level.
The Lab Results
Microbiology tests have been very enlightening in the last year and a half due to dire need. Our understanding of what humanity was up against and how to protect against it had to increase dramatically and in a rapid fashion. Hand sanitizer, masks, vaccines, social distancing all served to make it easier for the cleaning and disinfection that was necessary. But without the knowledge provided to us by the testing done in the labs, all of that effort would have been in vain.