The following article was written by Markham Heid and was published by The New York Times last April 23, 2021,

In it, Heid discusses the importance of the human microbiome and the need for us to re-learn how to nurture and live with the trillions of bacteria that live on and inside our bodies.

Here, Heid talks about how some scientists are raising the alarm about the microbial fallout that may follow after the pandemic and our obsession with sanitation and sterilization of our environment.

In a statement, B. Brett Finlay says, “We’re starting to realize that there’s collateral damage when we get rid of good microbes, and that has major consequences for our health”.

Heid also goes on to discuss the hygiene hypothesis and how it impacts not only our gut microbiome but also our brain function.

Editor’s Note: This article is relevant today, especially as we are now seeing the effects of our society’s obsession with “cleaning” and sanitation during the “pandemic” [See CDC issues alert for rare liver damage in children, What happens to children’s immune systems after a year of lockdowns and social distancing?, ‘Super-cold’ complaints on the rise. Also read The biggest public health threat is not a virus but a weakened immune system].

We hope that this article will help bring back our appreciation for the natural intelligence of the human body. May it also help alleviate some of the anxiety (and misinformation) about bacteria and “germs”. [Also read Our complicated relationship with viruses].

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