By now, most of you will have watched The Last of Us, and it’s clear the show is a huge hit, but there’s one thing that’s been on everyone’s minds since it hit screens…
Is a fungal pandemic really possible?
Last month, audiences were first introduced to the HBO Max series, which is the first live-action adaptation since the video game thrilled audiences way back in 2013.
Just like the games, the series is set in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by an unstoppable, brain-eating, fungal outbreak that transforms humans into cannibals.
The writers have been commended for honouring the original source material, which rapidly gathered a devoted fan base when it first came out. The engaging storylines, impressive visuals, and music propelled it to its massive success.
For those who haven’t watched the show, Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, is a ruthless smuggler who is responsible for transporting the young teen Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) to a medical facility situated on the opposite side of the country after it turns out she’s immune to the infection, leading him to believe she could hold the cure to the deadly parasite.
The show has only gotten bigger since it first aired on HBO at the start of the year, and the terrifying horde we saw in the fifth episode has left viewers wondering whether an outbreak like TLOU is really possible in the real world.
Well, apparently it is. According to Norman van Rhijn, a research associate with the Fungal Infection Group at Manchester University, he noted that for the zombie fungus to infect the whole population, “our immunity as a whole” would need to alter.
“It either needs to be a complete breakdown of our immunity to that fungus or the fungus needs to evolve a radical strategy not to be recognised by a complete range of cell types,” he told the Daily Mail.
“We don’t fully understand it yet. But in order for a fungal pandemic to occur, our immune system must become insufficient to clear the fungus before it invades our tissue.”
He said that since cordyceps already infest cold-blooded creatures like ants, it would have to overcome body temperature to attack people.
“So ant’s body temperature is a lot colder … our elevated temperature is a thermal barrier for many things (including fungi) that can’t grow at that temperature.
“Basically, you can see our temperature as part of our immune system – another reason we get fever is to raise our temperature to fend off infections.
“So in order for a fungus to infect us, it needs to learn how to cope with a nearly 20-degree difference.”
Even while it may seem difficult for a virus to overcome all of them, the mycologist believes it could potentially happen.
He continued by saying that the TV show’s actual plot is not so absurd.
“I remember the first scene where you see the scientists talking about this range of fungi and that it’s all going to change, I would say that is almost 100 percent right,” van Rhijn told the Daily Mail.
“[The Last of Us] has taken inspiration from scientific proof and just sensationalised that a little bit.”
