THE DEADLY FUNGUS AMONG US

If you're like me, there's not much better eating than a nice big pan of mushrooms. Give me a handful of crimini's or chanterelle's sauteed in a little olive oil and a touch of garlic and I'm in mushroom heaven, and I don't even need the magic kind!

But what about the cousins of these edible fungi? What about the types of fungus that are out there in the world that proliferate at an unimaginable rate and are considered malicious in intent and cause sickness and death in humans more readily than any virus? It's a terrifying thought, but it's true.

In this alarming article from the June 2021 issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN the author describes how these microbes exist in uncountable numbers virtually everywhere humans live, breathe and eat. Hospitals have been susceptible to the Candida fungus and the coronavirus supports the potential secondary infection of patients who are already suffering. Can this be stopped?

The answer is: not very easily. Like viruses, infectious fungi have become increasingly resistant to treatment and eradication by cleaners and chemicals. So, the next time you think of the apocalypse being an asteroid hitting the earth or an EMP from the sun or our enemies, think instead of the invisible microbes that are waiting for you -- maybe even on your computer keyboard right now -- to enter your body and create havoc within.

Have a nice day.