Creating Monsters
By Hal Lindsey
I wrote my first commentary on Covid-19 back in January. The numbers were small back then, but a worldwide pandemic already seemed possible. I wrote, “Confirmed cases of the virus have popped up in 13 countries so far. That includes, as of this writing, five confirmed cases in the United States. Five Americans out 327 million may not seem like much. But the point is, it’s here!”
And it would soon be here in a big way! To fight it, Americans and the rest of the world mobilized resources in one of the biggest scientific efforts in history. But the world hasn’t just been battling with big stuff. Much of the battle centers on simple things like washing hands and wiping down counters.
People around the word are disinfecting everything within reach. We are washing our hands after touching any new object, often with antimicrobial soap. When we don’t have soap, we’re using antimicrobial gels on our hands. In our homes, cars, offices, and schools, we’re using bleach or alcohol on every accessible surface. Retail establishments are doing something similar with industrial strength disinfectants. They’re spraying down products, shelves, seats, counters, and cash. Airlines now clean planes using massive doses of disinfectants.
We have no choice. We must fight this disease. But if you think Covid is bad, wait until you see what we’re creating. Our Covid response is generating a whole new set of monsters!
You may have heard me mention what the UK’s Chief Medical Officer at the time, Dame Sally Davies, called the “superbug apocalypse.” She gave that warning in 2013. By March of 2018, CBS News reported, “Experts estimate that 700,000 people die around the world each year from drug-resistant ‘superbugs,’ and they expect the number to grow sharply.”
Jesus prophesied that the time shortly before His return would be characterized by certain disasters, including pestilences. Covid-19 represents one of those pestilences. But our response may be exacerbating the mega-pestilence we already knew was coming. “Superbugs” are the result of the overuse of antibiotics. Because only the strongest bacteria survive such drugs, only the strongest germs multiply. Their survivors tend to be antibiotic resistant.
An infectious disease doctor with Stanford Health Care said, “There is concern that continued antibiotic resistance could lead us to a ‘post-antibiotic world’ in which infections are no longer treatable.” In a “post-antibiotic world” a simple cut could be fatal.
According to the CDC, the numbers are already huge. They say, “More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the US each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.” And we’re only at the beginning of the “superbug apocalypse.” Scientists warn that it could explode onto the scene in the next few years.
Here’s the connection with Covid-19. It’s not just antibiotic drugs that create superbugs. So do disinfectants. An article in ScienceAlert.com said, “Even high-strength hospital disinfectant is losing its effectiveness against superbugs, scientists have warned, with bacteria learning to adapt to survive in the face of alcohol-based hand sanitizers… It's the alcohol in particular that the bugs are becoming more resistant too, according to new research.”
In other words, while fighting the virus, we’re creating a new breed of bacteria. That means we’re heading toward a world of “super-pestilences.” And we’re headed there faster than previously imagined. Science said it was coming. The Bible said it 2,000 years ago!
The good news is that these are yet more signs of the soon return of Jesus Christ.
