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CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

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  • CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse



    Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse
    Categories: General

    May 16th, 2011 11:48 am ET - Ali S. Khan



    There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That?s right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you?ll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you?ll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency.

    A Brief History of Zombies
    We?ve all seen at least one movie about flesh-eating zombies taking over (my personal favorite is Resident Evil), but where do zombies come from and why do they love eating brains so much? The word zombie comes from Haitian and New Orleans voodoo origins. Although its meaning has changed slightly over the years, it refers to a human corpse mysteriously reanimated to serve the undead. Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like the Walking Dead were born.

    A couple dressed as zombies - Danny Zucco and Sandy Olsson from the movie Grease walking in the annual Toronto Zombie Walk.
    In movies, shows, and literature, zombies are often depicted as being created by an infectious virus, which is passed on via bites and contact with bodily fluids. Harvard psychiatrist Steven Schoolman wrote a (fictional) medical paper on the zombies presented in Night of the Living Dead and refers to the condition as Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome caused by an infectious agent. The Zombie Survival Guide identifies the cause of zombies as a virus called selenium. Other zombie origins shown in films include radiation from a destroyed NASA Venus probe (as in Night of the Living Dead), as well as mutations of existing conditions such as prions, mad-cow disease, measles and rabies.

    The rise of zombies in pop culture has given credence to the idea that a zombie apocalypse could happen. In such a scenario zombies would take over entire countries, roaming city streets eating anything living that got in their way. The proliferation of this idea has led many people to wonder ?How do I prepare for a zombie apocalypse??

    Well, we?re here to answer that question for you, and hopefully share a few tips about preparing for real emergencies too!

    Some of the supplies for your emergency kit
    Better Safe than Sorry

    So what do you need to do before zombies?or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen? First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house. This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored). Below are a few items you should include in your kit, for a full list visit the CDC Emergency page.

    Water (1 gallon per person per day)
    Food (stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly)
    Medications (this includes prescription and non-prescription meds)
    Tools and Supplies (utility knife, duct tape, battery powered radio, etc.)
    Sanitation and Hygiene (household bleach, soap, towels, etc.)
    Clothing and Bedding (a change of clothes for each family member and blankets)
    Important documents (copies of your driver?s license, passport, and birth certificate to name a few)
    First Aid supplies (although you?re a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane)
    Once you?ve made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan. This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step. You can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake, or other emergency.

    Identify the types of emergencies that are possible in your area. Besides a zombie apocalypse, this may include floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes. If you are unsure contact your local Red Cross chapter for more information. Family members meeting by their mailbox. You should pick two meeting places, one close to your home and one farther away
    Pick a meeting place for your family to regroup in case zombies invade your home?or your town evacuates because of a hurricane. Pick one place right outside your home for sudden emergencies and one place outside of your neighborhood in case you are unable to return home right away.
    Identify your emergency contacts. Make a list of local contacts like the police, fire department, and your local zombie response team. Also identify an out-of-state contact that you can call during an emergency to let the rest of your family know you are ok.
    Plan your evacuation route. When zombies are hungry they won?t stop until they get food (i.e., brains), which means you need to get out of town fast! Plan where you would go and multiple routes you would take ahead of time so that the flesh eaters don?t have a chance! This is also helpful when natural disasters strike and you have to take shelter fast.
    Never Fear ? CDC is Ready

    Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Prepared
    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).

    To learn more about what CDC does to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all kinds, visit:


    To learn more about how you can prepare for and stay safe during an emergency visit:
    Information for the public and emergency responders on how to stay safe during public health emergencies. Provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).


    Are you prepared? Tell us?
    Have you begun preparing for a zombie apocalypse? Or maybe you have been preparing for a more realistic threat like hurricanes or the next flu season? Tell us about what you are doing to prepare!

  • #2
    Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

    Perhaps this is the CDC's way of getting people to prepare, but the problem is that most people don't know that the CDC actually hires people with a sense of humor, some I am very confused by this.

    Oh, and I don't see a shotgun, flame thrower, or grenade launcher on the list of items to have on hand in case of a zombie attack.
    "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." - Mother Teresa of Calcutta

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

      I agree with you, Jim, that the above article will likely cause more confusion than benefit.

      Imagine how much more confusion we would have if the CDC had suggested to get a flamethrower to fight off zombies!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

        I bet they did this to try to reach out to a population doing Google searches for the word 'zombie.' I think there's a whole zombie subculture that might hard to reach any other way. It's a pretty clever approach, really.
        _____________________________________________

        Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

        i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

        "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

        (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
        Never forget Excalibur.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

          Shock and Awe theory....

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

            Originally posted by ironorehopper View Post
            Shock and Awe theory....
            _____________________________________________

            Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

            i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

            "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

            (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
            Never forget Excalibur.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

              Very clever - aimed at the "young people" I think. Well worth doing - they usually have nothing in their cupboards. Since the quake here more Uni students are storing a few rations. I think Sally's article said about 30% of students. That's a huge number if you are thinking of the US.
              "The only security we have is our ability to adapt."

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                LOL! Got to be careful during these frenetic pre-2012 days. They got tangled up with the May 21st meme.

                http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...74I7H420110519
                CDC "Zombie Apocalypse" disaster campaign crashes website
                The Zombie Apocalypse campaign is a social media effort by the CDC's Public Health and Preparedness center to spread the word about preparing for the June 1 start of hurricane season.

                "There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for," the blog post starts innocently enough. "Take a zombie apocalypse for example ... You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency."

                The timing of the blog was just days before the prediction of the May 21 "Judgment Day" by an evangelical broadcaster....
                _____________________________________________

                Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                Never forget Excalibur.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                  As I pointed out elsewhere, the CDC campaign suggests to me - outside US - the mid' 50 myth of Invasion of Body Snatchers and the subtle propaganda behind the propagation in the movies and television shows of the aliens invasion - where no safe place and no neighbors' helping hands available to the few unfortunate who escaped 'infection'.

                  Among the collateral damage of Zombie-Body Snatchers myths there is the sound risk of seeing 'strangers' - migrants workers for example - as vehichle of disruption, diseases, disorder, chaos.

                  In other words, whether the CDC move to engage youngsters imagination toward emergencies prepardness may be of some value or not I have strong doubts.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                    Originally posted by ironorehopper View Post
                    As I pointed out elsewhere, the CDC campaign suggests to me - outside US - the mid' 50 myth of Invasion of Body Snatchers and the subtle propaganda behind the propagation in the movies and television shows of the aliens invasion - where no safe place and no neighbors' helping hands available to the few unfortunate who escaped 'infection'.

                    Among the collateral damage of Zombie-Body Snatchers myths there is the sound risk of seeing 'strangers' - migrants workers for example - as vehichle of disruption, diseases, disorder, chaos.

                    In other words, whether the CDC move to engage youngsters imagination toward emergencies prepardness may be of some value or not I have strong doubts.
                    I think you are right that there is a deeper meaning to cultural zombie 'epidemics.' I'm curious about why this is happening now in American culture. I found an article written in 1999 examining this happening in Africa.

                    http://history.wisc.edu/bernault/magical/comaroff%20text.pdf
                    ALIEN-NATION: ZOMBIES, IMMIGRANTS, AND MILLENNIAL
                    CAPITALISM
                    CODESRIA BULLETIN 3 & 4,
                    Prolegomenon
                    What might zombies have to do with the implosion of neoliberal capitalism at
                    the end of the twentieth century? What might they have to do with
                    post-colonial, post-revolutionary nationalism? With labour history? With
                    the "crisis" of the modernist nation-state?...
                    It talks about reducing humans to units of consumption, and there has been a trend towards this here, too.

                    http://www.fdic.gov/news/conferences...ook/index.html
                    FDIC 2005 Economic Outlook
                    The U.S. Consumer: Hero or Has-Been?


                    The CODESRIA article views cultural zombie epidemics as a symptom of a troubled society, rather than the cause, and if it gets a government's attention, that could be a good thing.
                    Last edited by Emily; May 20, 2011, 06:49 PM. Reason: typo fix
                    _____________________________________________

                    Ask Congress to Investigate COVID Origins and Government Response to Pandemic.

                    i love myself. the quietest. simplest. most powerful. revolution ever. ---- nayyirah waheed

                    "...there’s an obvious contest that’s happening between different sectors of the colonial ruling class in this country. And they would, if they could, lump us into their beef, their struggle." ---- Omali Yeshitela, African People’s Socialist Party

                    (My posts are not intended as advice or professional assessments of any kind.)
                    Never forget Excalibur.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                      I would have to say Resident Evil was a poor choice of movie to consider a favorite. The new version of Dawn of the Dead definitely is a step up from that. I would say 28 Days Later takes the cake, but the "infected" were not technically zombies so I don't know if it counts.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                        A young person today is probably more likely to be hyped up about the the latest and greatest video game than what's on Ready.gov. Prepping for anything other video gaming night munchies is probably out of their normal scope of consideration.

                        The newer third person shooter games coming out now, like Fallout New Vegas, Home Front and LA Noire, have a little more of a story line then just shoot whatever moves. Some cognitive thought and puzzel solving skills are required. Maybe if the game designers of Left for Dead III prequel to the Apocalypse could include a set of achievements for various levels and types of Zombie Apocalypse prepping? The kids could have fun and learn how to prep. With luck they might even nudge their parents into doing some prepping. The kids could also learn the gamer version of the consequences of adequate prepping vs. the alternative. Would they apply it as a life skill? Who knows? I wonder if the game designers could qualify for a government subsidy?
                        We were put on this earth to help and take care of one another.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                          Welcome Crayonfish!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                            Thank you.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: CDC issues preparedness advice for Zombie Apocalypse

                              The XX century mid' 50 propaganda myths were quite prototypical and well designed.

                              U.F.O. and other scary monsters were amazing creatures able to emphasize and drive behaviour of the entire Western world imagination.

                              Different meanings had the myths in Japanese culture (Godzilla and other 'mutants'), and the hidden message of genuine horror after the A-bombs during the last days of WWII and the projection of the young Japanese people toward a new society - only dreamed - amidst the actual rigid traditions.

                              Zombies also had - according my opinion - a revolutionary meanings and their inscription in today disaster preparedness may be a result of these old progressive instances but also might be the product of the old fashioned but highly effective 'Invasion of Body Snatcher' propaganda.

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