I spend a lot of time here talking about the damage that bacteria can do, and how sick they can make you. I don’t spend much time talking about their collateral damage: the hospital stays, the unbelievable costs of care, the bewildering complexity of the American healthcare and insurance systems, and the disillusionment that encountering both of those leaves behind.
To rectify that, I’d like to introduce you to my acquaintance Kevin Zelnio.
It wouldn’t be fair for this story to claim that Kevin and I are friends. We’re part of the same crowd in the science blogosphere and in the real-life annual bloggers’ meeting called Science Online. I like him and I’m impressed by his spirit and talent, but I can’t say that we’re close — which is just to say, this post isn’t written with any inside knowledge.
