Category Archives: Apocalypse
How the Zombie Apocalypse Can Explain the Spread of Diseases
When the zombie apocalypse is upon us and the undead begin their global domination, we will all be left to fight for our lives or run for the hills. But did you know the scenario of a zombie apocalypse can help to explain just how diseases can spread in society?
In modeling a fictional zombie apocalypse, researchers are able to get a more in depth real world look at disease outbreaks worldwide. The techniques used to study a zombie apocalypse prove to be useful when researching real life diseases. Researchers at Cornell University have explained that a worldwide outbreak of a zombie apocalypse are similar to what a large scale outbreak of a virus like Ebola may look like. In the zombie apocalypse, there are four different stages to the virus.
First stage is the human stage, second is the infected, third is the zombie, and last is a dead zombie stage. These stages interact and combine with each other in a similar way to chemical reactions in the body.
In Depth Look into the Zombie Virus
If there was a zombie apocalypse, we usually assume that all areas are affected at the same time, and months after the initial outbreak occurs, there are pockets of survivors here and there. But realistically this isn’t the way that a disease outbreak will actually go down.
Don’t be too shocked that the zombie apocalypse we know of from our favorite movies and television shows isn’t entirely true. Researchers are able to provide you with a more inside look as to how an actual virus outbreak such as the zombie apocalypse would occur. They predict that dense populated cities will be the first to fall to the virus, and typically they’d likely fall quickly due to overcrowding and the spread of disease.
It would take time however for the zombies to penetrate through to more remote rural regions like that of the Rocky Mountains. The best place you would want to be during an outbreak is a place as far away as possible from people. This way you will be more unlikely to be near any places with an outbreak. Of course this model includes the assumption that people wouldn’t be on the move, so if in fact more people flocked to the mountains, well it wouldn’t be a safe option anymore.
Take for example this image from Cornell University. This image shows a heat map, which depicts a 28 day stretch of the zombie outbreak. The lighter areas are those in which will be hit the hardest and fastest when a zombie outbreak does occur. Again this is all speculation from the research team at Cornell. More remote locations will have a huge advantage with less people, on the other hand supplies and resources will be limited.How Disease Spreads
How Disease Spreads
So do you remember that time a dog on your street came down with rabies, then later in the day, every other dog on the block ended up having rabies too? No? That’s because biting is a terrible way of spreading disease. So when looking at a zombie virus, to a traditional virus, biting may not spread the disease as fast as our movies have taught us.
Successful diseases have a clever way of spreading to their victims. The flu has killed over 10 million people because it hits through the air, the plague was spread by fleas, and sexually transmitted diseases work through sharing intimate contact with the infected. I don’t think anyone really will be in the mood to have sex with a zombie, so it looks like we’re safe there.
Traditional diseases have been able to mutate in order to infect more unsuspecting victims in a quick period of time. If biting is the method of infection with a zombie virus, we may just have time to run off to the middle of nowhere before the infection gets to us. And just like traditional diseases and viruses, the zombie virus shows a transition. If the overall total of the disease is below a certain level or point, well it’s more than likely that humans will come out on top, otherwise, look out.
If Hollywood has taught us anything, it’s that larger cities always fall first, even with a large amount of supplies. Perhaps the best route would be to plan ahead by gathering supplies and stocking up, while locating to a more remote location. And they always said living out in the middle of nowhere had its disadvantages. Seems to me that this is quite the opposite when we are dealing with an army of undead moving on us, wanting to devour our brains for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
New SARS Coronavirus -The Next Plague?
There’s a new nasty bug making its way across the planet the new SARS-linked coronavirus and it may be spread person to person. This is the way they believe SARS first began, as well as a number of other, very fatal, viruses. It starts with a simple virus, it begins spreading from one being to the next. Eventually, it will hit someone that has an unusual mutation and the virus itself mutates. It passes on to the next person in this mutated form and becomes, over time, more deadly and infectious than before.
This new virus was first identified in the Middle East and all 10 previous infections were people who had lived in, or traveled to this region. But now, the latest UK patient had not traveled to this region, but instead, came in contact with someone who had. This new coronavirus is related to the common cold, which we all know is very transmittable. Of the 11 reported coronavirus cases, 5 of the people have died. A 45% death rate should make people stand up and take notice. If this virus gets out ‘into the wild’ we could have another major pandemic.
Kansas militia expects zombies, and it’s dead serious
It’s got to be one of the coolest names ever for a group:
The Kansas Anti Zombie Militia.
But the group is real and its members are pretty serious about it.
Once the Zombie Apocalypse hits, they’ll be ready for it and they want you to be too.
“Can a natural person change into this monster that many fear?” Alfredo Carbajal, the militia’s main spokesman, said in an interview. “The possibilities are yes, it can happen. We have seen incidents that are very close to it, and we are thinking it is more possible than people think.”
Carbajal and other true believers aren’t so much scared of movie zombies. The apocalypse they see coming is a pandemic spread by a virus that creates zombie-like symptoms.
Last month, the Discovery Channel featured the Kansas militia in a documentary that concluded that such a Zombie Apocalypse — or Zompoc — was possible. The program featured scientists who speculated some evolving virus is bound to jump to humans on our overcrowded planet.
Of course, scientists have been warning about pandemics such as bird flu that don’t produce zombies, but zombies are the hot monsters right now.
A packed house listened last year at St. Mary’s College of Maryland as a chemist, psychologist and student acknowledged the possibility of an epidemic, according to the school’s newspaper.
The panel pointed out that there already have been zombie-like symptoms dating back to 1594; they were eventually determined to be the first recorded human case of furious rabies — an especially serious form of rabies.
Carbajal, 28, didn’t start out as a zombie fighter.
He and several friends grew up in Wamego, home of the Oz museum, watching zombie movies like “Shaun of the Dead,” “28 Days Later” and “Night of the Living Dead” and playing video games like the Left 4 Dead video game series.
The friends designed a web page for fun but then they began wondering what to do if there was actually a zompoc, and their thinking turned serious.
The group has five founders but about 1,500 likes on its Facebook page.
It’s not all zombie crusading; the militia also sponsors a Zombie Walk in October to raise money and food for charities.
But the group’s website points out that the militia is committed to research and preparing for a zompoc.
“We are not crazy. We are not paranoid. We believe in preparedness in any situation,” it says.
Everything you need to know about surviving a zombie attack can be found on the militia’s website — never take on a small horde of zombies by yourself because that would be suicide, and make sure all your skin is covered because blood spatters can be infectious.
Blunt objects are better to use than, say, knives because blades tend to dull after each use. A metal bat and a collapsible baton are the two most recommended weapons.
The site also notes as “a real-life threat to humanity” a biosecurity lab planned near Manhattan, Kan.
Carbajal and his group are not alone in their deep fascination over zombies. Much of the country has been touched.
The “Walking Dead” cable series broke basic cable ratings records with more than 10 million viewers for the first show of season three. And already hype for a movie, based on the book “World War Z,” is widespread even though its release date is six months out.
How-to books have been published in recent years, including the “Zombie Survival Guide,” which made the New York Times Best Seller List, and the “Zombie Combat Manual,” which warns “During a zombie outbreak, 98% of individuals will have to destroy an undead opponent without the aid of a firearm. Will you be ready?”
Carbajal said that if you aren’t a true believer, just being prepared for any apocalypse or natural disaster is a good thing.
“My thought is if you are ready for zombies, you are ready for anything, whether it be natural disasters, fall of government, invasion from another country — the possibilities are endless,” he said. “The point is to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.”
Others agree.
Using the guise of a zombie apocalypse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state emergency management agencies are trying to get people to be prepared for a natural disaster with at least several days of food and supplies, copies of important documents and a plan.
“It’s a spoof; we are not encouraging a zombie scare,” said Devan Tucking-Strickler, Kansas Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman. “We use the tagline, ‘If you are prepared for zombies, you are prepared for anything and prepared for the unexpected.’ ”
Kansas even used the militia to help promote general disaster awareness.
Members of the group were featured in a photograph with Gov. Sam Brownback when he signed a proclamation declaring October as Zombie Preparedness Month in Kansas.
A little preparation for disaster can prove very important later, but most people don’t prepare, said another viral disaster worrier, Shawn Beatty, who also was featured on the Discovery documentary.
“You can get a first aid kit for $100, something that you should have in your house anyway, or you can go to dinner, take a trip, or have a really nice night out with that $100,” said Beatty, a public-school teacher in Columbia. “Who is going to say, ‘Let’s go buy something that you may not use?’
Zombies A Factor In Gun Sales Increase, Gun Rights Advocate Says
It’s not just President Obama’s re-election that’s lead to a spike in gun sales. The living dead are also providing a reason to stock up on firearms and ammo.
My Northwest.com reports that, according to FBI data, background checks for guns rose 20 percent on Black Friday from the same day last year. According to KIRO, one gun rights advocate said part of the reason for the increase is zombies.
“A lot of people appear to be really enthralled by this,” Dave Workman said. “I’ve seen lines of zombie targets, I know one or two ammunition companies have introduced boxes, lines of cartridges they called zombie cartridges, shotgun shells and rifle shells.”
The zombie-themed merchandise has ushered in a new generation of gun shooters, according to Workman.
Of course, the popularity of TV’s “Walking Dead,” heralds the coming of a zombie apocalypse for which we must prepare.
Those sentiments were echoed earlier this year by Texas gun purveyor Cris Parsons in an interview with ABC News.
He said products like Zombie Max ammunition (slogan: “just in case”) made by Hornady Manufacturing fly off the shelves.
“We can’t keep it in stock,” Parsons said. “It comes in a cool, colorful box with a Zombie on it.”
Clearly zombies are hot with gun fans, but what about other weapons? Could they too become the beneficiaries of a “zombie bump”? Absolutely, according to Detroit Free Press’ Eric Millikin.
“Zombies are also sure to increase sales of machetes, nunchucks, and prosthetic chainsaw hands,” he writes.
Dept. of Homeland Security Warns of Impending Zombie Apocalypse
If there’s one thing Americans love, it’s the zombie apocalypse. I don’t know why, really. Although some people think that it would be cool to blow the heads off the undead and attempt to survive in a brutal post-apocalyptic landscape, most people would get their fat asses either gnawed on by zombies or shot by a survivalist looking for supplies. The harsh reality is that most people wouldn’t survive the zombie apocalypse, but we can keep dreaming that we’re the exception – we’re all Rick from The Walking Dead.
This month is National Preparedness Month, and the Department of Homeland Security is capitalizing on the never-ending zombie craze to make people start thinking about what they would do in the event of a disaster.
According to the AP, DHS is urging citizens to prepare for the zombie apocalypse. “The Zombies are coming!” they say.
Except they’re not. At least not right now. DHS’s message is that if you’re prepared for a zombie attack, you’ll likely be prepared for a hurricane, pandemic, earthquake, or terrorist attack. That’s because all of those events have something in common – the need for shelter, food, water, etc. DHS wants emergency planners across the country to use the “zombie attack” trope to get people into the disaster preparedness mindset.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that a government organization has mentioned the z word to citizens. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control actually acknowledged zombies and released their own zombie preparedness guide.
Here’s what the CDC says would happen, on a governmental response level:
If zombies did start roaming the streets, CDC would conduct an investigation much like any other disease outbreak. CDC would provide technical assistance to cities, states, or international partners dealing with a zombie infestation. This assistance might include consultation, lab testing and analysis, patient management and care, tracking of contacts, and infection control (including isolation and quarantine).
It’s likely that an investigation of this scenario would seek to accomplish several goals: determine the cause of the illness, the source of the infection/virus/toxin, learn how it is transmitted and how readily it is spread, how to break the cycle of transmission and thus prevent further cases, and how patients can best be treated. Not only would scientists be working to identify the cause and cure of the zombie outbreak, but CDC and other federal agencies would send medical teams and first responders to help those in affected areas (I will be volunteering the young nameless disease detectives for the field work).
Even though the CDC clearly has a plan, they officially denied the known existence of zombies after a rash of cannibalism stories hit the news earlier this year.
If you have the money and truly wish to prepare for the zombie apocalypse, you can’t go wrong with this kit for the 1%.