It’s been over ten years since The Last of Us first hit our consoles. Its universe has generated a lot of discussion, especially regarding how the infection of the fungus called Cordyceps is transmitted. One of the most repeated topics is whether the hosts are conscious when the parasite takes possession of the body.
The Last of Us Part 2 was much more focused on moral dilemmas than the Cordyceps fungus, so it didn’t bring too many debates to the table. However, the HBO series made changes that rekindled the flames of old discussions about how the fungus works when it comes to parasitizing and transforming humans. And this is where the gas masks and spores come in.
Gas masks and spores in The Last of Us
Gas masks serve a very important function in The Last Us: protect people who are not yet infected when there are areas with high spore density. We have seen Joel put on the mask on more than one occasion during our adventures. The original installment only takes a few minutes to introduce them.
He Cordycepsa parasitic fungus, is primarily transmitted by air in the gaming world. It can also enter the body through the ingestion of food and/or bites or scratches from an infected person. The idea is to prevent the fungus from eventually entering the body and reaching the brain, because then there is no turning back.
This premise poses a very complicated scenario, with too many variables and many probabilities of ending up infected. In fact, the creators of the series the HBO They opted for tendrils instead of spores because they simplify things a lot. It was also not a good idea to hire famous actors like Pedro Pascal to cover his face with a mask for so long.
There has been a lot of debate about the transmission of Cordyceps, perhaps too much, but I recently came across a very interesting question while exploring Reddit. A fan poses the following question: “When characters enter spore-infested areas, they wear gas masks. But shouldn’t they wear ear protectors, too? Can’t spores travel through the ears and into the brain?”
Fans of The Last of Us have launched into debate. User NCC_1701E has one of the most popular answers (2.2K likes): “If it were 100% realistic, then they would have to wear full body CBRN suits and go through a decontamination shower every time they encounter an infested area, as spores can get caught in clothing and be inhaled later.”
You are absolutely right. If we get picky about The Las of Usthen the safest option to cross a spore zone would be to put on a CBRN suit, known in our language as NRBQ. They are specialized suits for nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical defense. There are different types and they are really cumbersome. Not to mention the corresponding decontamination shower to eliminate all the spores attached to the suit.
The theory is all well and good, but there are two problems: the characters in The Last of Us They don’t exactly live in an era of great technological accessibility. Some people have gone back to bows and arrows, so you don’t find an NRBC suit in any looted store. Plus, I can think of few ways to turn it into a fun mechanic for video games.
So what happens to your ears if you don’t have access to CBRN suits?
Can Cordyceps spores infect someone through the ear? The question is very interesting and fun. The human ear is more complex and delicate than many people think. The short answer is that it is possible to become infected, although the chance is generally very low due to all the defenses we have.
Nature is wise and has provided the human ear with some defenses against threats, including Cordyceps spores. They involve everything from the shape of the ear to the glands in the skin that line the inside of the ear canal and produce wax/cerumen to protect it, remove dirt and prevent possible infections. In other words, spores could not enter our ear like Peter in his house… although that does not mean that it is infallible.
Spores do not enter our body, but that does not mean that they cannot adhere to our ear and the internal canal. And this is where things get complicated. Diseases and infections can cause spores to eventually enter our body. For example, accumulations of pus can end up damaging the eardrum, as my colleague has pointed out to me. Javier Jimenez from Xataka
Add that hygiene, a factor that helps infections, is not the priority in The Last of Us. And if we’re going to be picky about this post-apocalyptic world, the sound of gunshots and explosions are a daily occurrence and can damage or burst your eardrum in seconds. This last factor is also not taken into account in video games, because otherwise all of our favorite characters would end up deaf by the end of the adventure. You don’t have to worry, you can keep shooting to your heart’s content.
In short, should the characters of The Last of Us Worry about covering your ears when you walk through areas with spores? It wouldn’t hurt. Science would certainly recommend it. However, things need to be put into context. Covering our ears would not be a priority for anyone in the same situation. Not for lack of interest or ignorance, which is also true, but for a question of means. There is no access to technology like CBRN suits and they are not practical for survival. It is reasonable to ignore this detail when you are hiding from a clicker and you only have two bullets left for the seven thugs who have been stalking you for days.
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