Patient Zero Concept
So, today I was talking about the shows like Doomsday Bunkers, and Doomsday Preppers, and someone brought up the pandemic idea. The pandemic mention sparked memories of who I called the Germ Lady. She's the germophobe who is always coating everything with a thin film of hand sanitizer and fogging the room with Lysol spray.
How plausible would it be for the idea of a zombie type infection to originated from a "Germ Lady"? Think about it, sterilizing the environment constantly would allow for the alpha virus's and bacteria to breed freely. Mix that with some possible hot, interracial virus action and that's Jenga: zombie pandemic virus looking for the right Patient Zero. If not it might make for a good short story.
i personally think germaphobes are more prone to virus' since they're immune system isn't too familiar with them. i'm not the cleanest guy and i always get dirty as shit from work and dont wash my hands too often, and almost never get sick.
The native Americans weren't exposed to the various diseases and other nasty stuff that the Europeans have been living with for thousands of years. When the two came in contact, the natives immune systems could not fend off the illnesses. So, it's definitely plausible that exposing ones immune system to illnesses could in fact make it stronger. How much would be debatable, as the only real historical example I can think of is based on thousands of years of separation, not within a timeframe that a single human's choices could cover.
The same scenario the thread started set up, Is why their is so much worry of a super-flu, Our nation for the most part are all germophobes, Every time they or their kids get the sniffles, It's off to the Dr's to get antibiotics which is why our society as a whole is turning into sickly people.
People are overly worried about germs I think.
Personally though, If I go anywhere public and use the door handles or lean on the counters, even use ATM's I almost always try to find a place to wash my hands before eating, but don't rush right to the hand sanitizer after touching something.
The flip side to that is though, I will be absolutely filthy from work, usually concrete dust, dirt, or other generally dirty stuff, and wont think twice usually about grabbing a sandwich and chowing it down.
People in general are pretty disgusting, so when I have to touch things that they have used I don't want dirty ass germs on my hands. I wouldn't call myself a germaphobe, but I am aware of how easy it is to get typhoid or a staff infection.
Viruses are another animal though, kids are supposed to get dirty, and get sick, and get better all on their own so their body remembers that virus and murders it next time.
Originally Posted By Dustin86us:
It's off to the Dr's to get antibiotics which is why our society as a whole is turning into sickly people.
That and (sadly I have to say this) the gene pool hasn't been cleaned out in a while. Coming from healthy stock I feel like a jerk whenever that topic comes up, but it's the truth. The only genetic problems in my family are a history of late in life heart attacks, and I think that is due more to eating meat and butter every day for 60 years.
My wife's family though is loaded with stuff, depression, diabetes, heart problems, all sorts of things. It makes me somewhat nervous for my unborn child. I can only hope it gets it's immune system from my side.
Dude, from what i have seen lately, the gene pool is on the shallow end
Originally Posted By BladedRonin:
Dude, from what i have seen lately, the gene pool is on the shallow end
+1
As much as I joke about this,the implications are sort of sobering.Nature(god,natural selection,whatever) provides controls to keep this from happening but IMHO modern society/culture has subverted and neutered most of them.Eventually the gene pool is going to have to be "cleaned',how is the question.The OP's scenario is fairly plausible,the Spanish influenza outbreak in 1918 comes to mind.
Originally Posted By booger_hooker:
How plausible would it be for the idea of a zombie type infection to originated from a "Germ Lady"? Think about it, sterilizing the environment constantly would allow for the alpha virus's and bacteria to breed freely. Mix that with some possible hot, interracial virus action and that's Jenga: zombie pandemic virus looking for the right Patient Zero. If not it might make for a good short story.
If the environment is constantly being sterilized the microbes are going to die before they get to evolve.
