Medical Means of Survival

In this section, the idea of medicine will be discussed.

As mentioned in the Outbreak and Virus pages, the symptoms of the disease are high fever, bloody foam leaking from every orifice, spasms, neurological dysfunction, violent outbursts, increased hunger (craving in particular for meat, protein), iron deficiency, a seemingly constant state of adrenaline (this results in the infected, known as Ferals, to only survive for a 3 month period, but this soon changes to last several months or years).

Given the symptoms, those that are infected will be treated as though they suffer from hemorrhagic fever, the symptoms of which are similar. They will be treated with antibiotics, which will not work. Eventually, their symptoms will grow worse, resulting in them having animalistic tendencies, travelling in packs, instinctual responses to fear, anger, hunger etc. 

In the initial outbreak, the infected will be quarantined. This will do no good as the virus spreads at an alarming rate, resulting in 3.25 billion Ferals seemingly overnight.

After the Outbreak

Those that are unaffected and manage to survive within the first 5 years will be trained as first responders. Everyone, including young and old (if there are any, many are expected to die in the beginning stages), will be trained and have a general knowledge of symptoms, injuries and treatment. If surgery or deeper investigation is required, doctors and surgeons will be there to perform surgery, as well as train the next generations to survive and treat the injured.

For gathering this knowledge and medical equipment (that does require a great deal of electricity, as we will be running on generators), the first few years will be spent hoarding the devices needed. It is only in the later stages that the survivors will be all right with sharing the equipment.

After the outbreak, there will be a lack of production of the medical vaccinations and equipment needed for future generations. This will result in the use of alternative methods of healing. The three main focuses of alternative medicine are homeopathic (using remedies made by incorporating both animal and plant basics for healing, as well as incorporating a spiritual and psychological diagnosis), naturopathy (using herbal remedies and the most basic plants) and allopathic (your general physician, family doctor, surgeon etc). Eventually, when technology progresses, we may bring some of the methods back, but they will be updated, modernized to fit the time period. They will most likely be more efficient, perhaps less invasive procedures.

Homeopathic Remedies

Medical Timeline

Homeopathy is the oldest known medical treatment within the modern era of science. It was created by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, who believed that by giving the patients a drug that would normally cause the same symptoms, it would be effective in ridding the person of the illness. Homeopathy not only works to heal the physical body, but also the mind. Dr. Hahnemann believed that the two coincided in the healing process, and both should be taken into account when diagnosing and treating.

Homeopathy uses the most basic forms of natural elements (both plant and animal) to treat people. If someone for example, feels hungover or nauseous, they would use a treatment called Nux Vomica, which works to treat symptoms of nauseau or inner ear imbalance. The basis of Nux Vomica is Poison Nut Tree found in the Far East, which seeds can be boiled to the point where they are no longer dangerous in small doses. Unfortunately, like allopathic remedies, it takes a great deal of time, effort and equipment to make the remedies needed, so the use of homeopathy will most likely not appear until the mid to late periods of survival.  

Naturopathic Remedies

Naturopathy was devised within the 1830s by Samuel Thomson, M.D. Naturopathic doctors believe and work with  the idea of the body's natural ability to heal itself through the use of plants and herbs. Is more plant based, but with the same basic premise, using the simplest properties of the plants or herbs found to treat the patient. Certain plants, such as Aloe Vera, can be used to soothe burns and act as a disenfectant. Naturopathy believes that not only are the mind and body important in acknowledging in the diagnosis, but also the soul.

There is a great deal of equipment needed and unavailable after the outbreak, prompting the idea that for an small amount of time, the majority of our medical needs will be met with the use of naturopathy, as there are basic herbs and plants that can be found throughout Canada and more specifically, ones that we can grow in gardens, that can be used to suit our injuries and needs.

Allopathic Remedies

Allopathic medecine is the general, perhaps more well known, form of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Although it is the newest form of healing in comparison to homeopathic and naturopathic, it has gained a great deal more spotlight, for its biological diagnosis and creation of vaccinations for diseases. Allopathy emerged in Western society thoughout the 19th and 20th Centuries and continues to grow today as more technology is produced. Allopathic doctors focus on the symptoms and how they affect certain parts of the body, along with the side effects of how it affects the brain (although this is more through the use of psychology and psychiatry). In contrast to homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, spirituality is largely disregarded as a source of both illness and healing.

Another thing that we will focus on is the emotional and mental consequences of surviving the apocalypse. What are the repercussions of surviving such a horrific event and being one of the few survivors on the planet? We will aim to tackle these ideas through the use of psychology and psychiatry, treating people who suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) as well as a variety of other disorders that will happen as a result of suffering through the trauma.

References

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