CDC offers tips on how to prepare in the event of a disaster.
If there was a zombie invasion, would you know what to do?
No worries if the answer was no because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has got you covered with their “Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse."
As their website states: ”An emergency can happen at any moment, and every community in the U.S. must be ready to respond. A pandemic, natural disaster, or chemical or radiological release often strikes without warning. The costs—both economic and human—can be dear.”
The organization has put out a "zombie preparedness" sheet that is a chock-full of information on how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse.
For one, they have a "zombie preparedness blog" people can refer to for tips; there’s a "zombie preparedness for educators," complete with lesson plans and activities; a "zombie preparedness poster," so it's always top of mind and a "zombie graphic novel" that follows two characters and their dog as a strange new disease surfaces and spreads, turning ordinary people into zombies. The lesson here goes back to the importance of being prepared so that readers can get their family, workplace, or school ready before a disaster strikes.
Even though the thought of a zombie attack may scare many, the emergency kit the CDC suggests offers some peace of mind. Plus, it also helps with other disasters that may occur, including an earthquake, hurricane, or flood. Some of these items include a gallon of water, non-perishable food, prescription, and non-prescription medications, tools like a utility knife or radio, sanitary products, clothing, blankets, first aid supplies, and important documents like passports, a driver's license, and birth certificates to your kit.
The CDC also stresses the importance of an emergency plan. As the CDC reminds “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!”
Some tips the CDC offers include, picking a central meeting place for your family, identify your emergency contacts, and a plan for your evacuation route.
The CDC has put together a social media page dedicated to “zombies,” where visitors can find badges and widgets for their own site, links to their blogs, content syndication, and even zombie e-cards. They have also put together a "Zombie Task Force," created by the CDC Foundation, a non-profit partner of CDC where proceeds go to benefit disaster relief efforts and other important health programs.
The public’s fascination with zombies is real. The CDC's blog dates back to 2011 — one year after "The Walking Dead" first aired — and cites pop culture's interest in zombies as their inspiration, BuzzFeed reported.
The zombie apocalypse first began as a tongue-in-cheek campaign to engage new audiences with preparedness messages has proven to be a very effective platform, the CDC said on its site.
The fictional zombie has been featured in many horror fiction and films. The modern fictional zombie was largely developed by the works of American filmmaker George A. Romero, according to Encyclopædia Britannica.
Through ancient voodoo and folk-lore traditions, shows like "The Walking Dead" and films like "Resident Evil" were born. And when the global pandemic first surfaced one year ago, the 2011 Steven Soderbergh film “Contagion,” became one of the 10 most-rented movies in the United States, BuzzFeed reported.
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