Statement: Without extremely swift reactions on the part of humanity, a zombie outbreak of any real size spreads more than fast enough as it is. Computer models have shown that infection spread bubbles with fast zombies could overtake a land mass the size of America in potentially as little as 24 hours without some type of containment. Slower zombies are much easier to manage, avoid, control, and contain and of course spread the virus a bit more slowly.
Without containment procedures put into place swiftly (roadblocks, military lockdowns, even tactical nuclear strikes) the fluid based zombie virus is incredibly virulent and effective. If it were airborne from a mutation I don't see how humanity could possibly survive for long. We simply wouldn't have time to build up any resistance to it and we would all just die from the necrotic effects of the virus, and rise as reanimates. It is possible as well as in the Walking Dead that an airborne strain would not be as necrotic as the fluidborne version, and that all humanity would become infected but not die in the traditional way that someone dies after suffering a zombie bite. Given the way the zombie virus alters the body here are a few potential outcomes from a mutation of the zombie virus to an airborne version:
1) If it is as virulent and necrotic as the traditional zombie virus, humanity would be swiftly eradicated. A very, very small percentage of people with some native resistance or biochemical immunity to the virus might survive, but they would be hopelessly outnumbered by a worldwide horde of zombies. The chances of those same people being capable survivalists or having knowledge of how to properly combat zombies would be incredibly small. Reconstruction of humanity would be very unlikely.
2) If it is as virulent, but NOT necrotic....then every human alive would likely be infected in short order. However, if it doesn't begin the decay process and killing a human like the fluidborne version does do, then there are a few likely outcomes:
a) Passive infection. The zombie airborne virus is more inert and does infect the remaining humans but does not transform them. Noticeable ill effects or gains would be minimal if any. The virus would lie dormant in the body until the human dies from some other fashion (injury, old age [lol], sickness) and then awaken and reanimate the dead flesh but the zombie virus is not the primary motivator of death.
b) Beneficial infection. The zombie virus does have some potential benefits as it has been shown to enhance sensory perception in zombies evidenced by their ability to still detect clearly even with severely damaged or atrophied eyes and ears. Immunity to pain cannot be directly attributed to the virus as it is more likely a side effect of the zombie being a corpse with pain receptors simply not firing. There are a myriad of ways the zombie virus could affect humans in a beneficial way if it does not go necrotic and kill them. Theoretically, we would have mutated humans that could have a wide range of effects from heightened senses, increased strength and stamina, and perhaps even a case where a human becomes more like a vampire in that the virus locks into the body but manages to act as a restorative rather than a destructive element. Super humans are a possibility, but the effects are too unknown other than to say this is unlikely or might only happen in a smaller number of humans with incredibly good immune systems. Any such mutations are likely to come along with physical changes in the body, morphing infected humans into a fashion that perhaps could no longer be classified as human. Some small percentage of humans may be able to have these mutations and still look like a human, but be highly infected. This seems like a less than 1% probability, however, of it even existing in this fashion let alone an infected human not undergoing dramatic changes.
Isolating strains of the zombie virus now in lab conditions and anticipating ways that it could mutate (and even developing those strains) would be the only way that we could try to combat a change to an airborne form of the virus. This also carries incredible risks as well, as any tampering humans might do with the zombie virus would only make the infection that much stronger should it escape the laboratory somehow.
Without containment procedures put into place swiftly (roadblocks, military lockdowns, even tactical nuclear strikes) the fluid based zombie virus is incredibly virulent and effective. If it were airborne from a mutation I don't see how humanity could possibly survive for long. We simply wouldn't have time to build up any resistance to it and we would all just die from the necrotic effects of the virus, and rise as reanimates. It is possible as well as in the Walking Dead that an airborne strain would not be as necrotic as the fluidborne version, and that all humanity would become infected but not die in the traditional way that someone dies after suffering a zombie bite. Given the way the zombie virus alters the body here are a few potential outcomes from a mutation of the zombie virus to an airborne version:
1) If it is as virulent and necrotic as the traditional zombie virus, humanity would be swiftly eradicated. A very, very small percentage of people with some native resistance or biochemical immunity to the virus might survive, but they would be hopelessly outnumbered by a worldwide horde of zombies. The chances of those same people being capable survivalists or having knowledge of how to properly combat zombies would be incredibly small. Reconstruction of humanity would be very unlikely.
2) If it is as virulent, but NOT necrotic....then every human alive would likely be infected in short order. However, if it doesn't begin the decay process and killing a human like the fluidborne version does do, then there are a few likely outcomes:
a) Passive infection. The zombie airborne virus is more inert and does infect the remaining humans but does not transform them. Noticeable ill effects or gains would be minimal if any. The virus would lie dormant in the body until the human dies from some other fashion (injury, old age [lol], sickness) and then awaken and reanimate the dead flesh but the zombie virus is not the primary motivator of death.
b) Beneficial infection. The zombie virus does have some potential benefits as it has been shown to enhance sensory perception in zombies evidenced by their ability to still detect clearly even with severely damaged or atrophied eyes and ears. Immunity to pain cannot be directly attributed to the virus as it is more likely a side effect of the zombie being a corpse with pain receptors simply not firing. There are a myriad of ways the zombie virus could affect humans in a beneficial way if it does not go necrotic and kill them. Theoretically, we would have mutated humans that could have a wide range of effects from heightened senses, increased strength and stamina, and perhaps even a case where a human becomes more like a vampire in that the virus locks into the body but manages to act as a restorative rather than a destructive element. Super humans are a possibility, but the effects are too unknown other than to say this is unlikely or might only happen in a smaller number of humans with incredibly good immune systems. Any such mutations are likely to come along with physical changes in the body, morphing infected humans into a fashion that perhaps could no longer be classified as human. Some small percentage of humans may be able to have these mutations and still look like a human, but be highly infected. This seems like a less than 1% probability, however, of it even existing in this fashion let alone an infected human not undergoing dramatic changes.
Isolating strains of the zombie virus now in lab conditions and anticipating ways that it could mutate (and even developing those strains) would be the only way that we could try to combat a change to an airborne form of the virus. This also carries incredible risks as well, as any tampering humans might do with the zombie virus would only make the infection that much stronger should it escape the laboratory somehow.
