Mercy Me!

My co-habitant for my weekend in Sturdy Hospital was imprisoned for an infection of his throat. He worked at a waste water treatment plant, so the staff, as it turned out, had specific concerns about the nature and source of his infection. His doctor–who was not the self-worshiped deity named Paz–was concerned that he might have MRSA. The nurse who told him this in clear hearing of me said she didn’t think that was the case, but that if the doctor was right, they would transfer him to his own room to prevent widespread contagion.
I butted in to ask what that was going to do for me–the guy with a chronic and temperamental illness and an open infection on my big toe who had been trapped in the room with the MRSA for an entire weekend.
The nurse was completely unconcerned about the potential of me catching MRSA from the roommate or its potential to worsen whatever fast-moving, as-yet-unidentified infection that had afflicted me. She told me I had no risk of catching it, but could give no non-contradictory reason why he would have to be segregated to a separate room if he did turn out to have MRSA.
MRSA "mersah" stand for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It’s a staph infection resistant to the usual antibiotics. Staph bacteria grows on the human body without harm but can go bad if trapped under the skin such as in a boil or ingrown hair or when the body is feeling overloaded with other problems.
Most people "catch" MRSA in hospitals or nursing homes. My concerns were by no means paranoia and I do not understand why my roommate was not sequestered on the doctor’s first suspicion. MRSA is that superbug you leave the hospital with when going in for something more routine. In a setting where the nurse-types are too lazy to rinse urinal bottle, should I believe they are meticulous in sanitizing themselves between patients?
The reverse possibility should have also been considered. At the time of my discharge, the exact nature of my infection had not been determined. How wise was it for the staff to place the roommate in with the surly guy with the unknown and extremely fast-forming toe infection that had gone from being red to gangrenous in two days?
The contagion concern may be the real reason neither of us had our bandages changed in more than a day. It’s certainly easier for the staff to neglect the patients than to thoroughly sanitize every time sanitizing would be called for.
The roommate was also discharged that Monday, and was told specifically that he did not have MRSA. I left without having heard what had afflicted my toe. Only because I was diligent in learning the truth did I finally get results, and not until June 6, a full 30 days after discharge. It was, as was "usually" the case, a combination infection of basic staph and strep. Yes, you can get strep in other areas outside the throat, and even on your toe without having cause to stick your foot in your mouth.