What is the infection counter in Dead Cells?

The description for the Dead Inside mutation per the Dead Cells wiki is

+50% HP. Food no longer heals you. Your infection counter is increased by +6.

This seems to have been changed since last time I played as I do not recognize the part saying "Your infection counter is increased by +6." When I acquired the mutation, I did not see any changes in the display. I also could not find an article on the wiki on the infection counter.

What is the infection counter? What is the difference between the infection counter and malaise?

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1 Answer

From a steamcommunity post:

It's actually understood. Getting hit by the elites in the special rooms in Castle infects you. After amassing too much infection, the player will take damage until either death or leaving the level.

So getting too much infection is not a good thing. Apparently they found the Dead Inside mutation too strong and nerfed it.

To expand after a comment:

• The Malaise was referred to as the infection before update 1.0.
  • Malaise works in a point system. The highest tier of infection is 10 points. At tier 10, The Beheaded takes massive damage.
  • The use of a healing charge takes off 3 tiers of Malaise.
  • The key elites in High Peak Castle apply 2 points of Malaise per hit. - - Activating 4 Boss Stem Cells results in every enemy applying a point of Malaise upon hit.

Straight from the wiki

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