Dear Zombie Master: Infection & Refuge Questions

by William
(Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

Hey Zombie Master,

1: I was wondering if one gets the blood of a zombie on him/her and it gets in the mouth of that person by accident, or it gets into the pores of the skin for instance, would they get infected as well? Because there are a number of movies where the (almost) victims are touched by the zombies and get blood on them.

2: Furthermore, I read some contradictions on the Internet in The Zombie Survival Guide. Read the following (not originally from me):

On page 86, under the heading of General Rules, Brooks clearly states that high-population urban neighborhoods, with their tall fences and barred windows, make an excellent place to stage a defense. He even goes so far as to recommend that people in less dense outlying areas make their way into the city at the first sign of a Zombie Survival GuideZombie infestation: "if the situation permits, head away from the suburbs and towards the inner city."

However, just fourteen pages later, on 100, he writes that cities are a horrible place to be when faced with a credible Zombie threat:

"No matter what your chances for survival during an infestation, they will undoubtedly drop by 50, if not 75, percent when traversing and urban area."

And again, on page 114:

"areas of high population density should be avoided at all costs"

In fairness to the author, the first quote is pulled from a section on defense, and the second and third are pulled from a section on escape. But to voluntarily put yourself in a defensive position that has the worst chances for eventual escape seems the height of insanity. To recommend others do so is irresponsible at best, and grossly negligent at worst.

What happens when you run out of food, or water? What happens when injured people in your secure city location begin to get sick, die, and turn into Zombies themselves? In a tight-packed urban area, with little ability to generate you own food, and no access to clean flowing water, escape will become a very real necessity soon enough. When that day comes, if you’re stuck in a sea of tens of thousands of undead it’ll be the last place you want to be.

Cheers,
William

William,

While there is always a threat of infection through external fluid transfer, i.e. blood splatter from a close range gun shot, the best example that we have is Roger from the original Dawn of the Dead. Though getting a face full of zombie blood from a close range killing, he does not contract the virus until he is bitten. Does this mean that it cannot happen? No, but it probably does mean that the concentration of the virus would have to be very high and we just don't have any cases yet to study.

Giving Max Brooks the benefit of the doubt, I would have to say that if you have not made a zombie plan (which I must recommend to everyone) then that will automatically put you on the defensive, and a large metropolitan area would be a good refuge place if you are already in one or near one. It's easy to cordon off the stairwells in tall buildings and you may be able to survive for a few days and be lucky enough for help to arrive. As for the rest of us, we would have already stocked enough supplies to last for a very long time in a place as far away from population centers as possible. That will give us enough time to get in touch with other like- minded individuals to coordinate an offensive. Remember, perfect paranoia means perfect awareness.

Good hunting and aim high,

The Zombie Master