Challenge #02206-F016: Microscopic Passengers

in #fiction6 years ago (edited)

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The Aliens in Board learn that one of the Human-Crewmembers has Herpes.
Fact: More than 3.7 Billion People have it. XD -- Anon Guest

"It's my duty to inform my captain and crew that I have a class two plague known as Herpes. I'm on a permanent course of antivirals to prevent its propagation."

Captain Gorthax, mildly alarmed, consulted the free infonets and read, GalStand Medical Primer for Newcomers: Subheading - Plague Disease Classes and resulting mis-assumptions.

Like most numeric classifications, the higher the number, the more 'intense' or 'severe' the classification. Excepting the Esper scale, because Humans concocted it and value numbers in an inverse scale. Attempts to remedy this have been counter-productive. Thusly, it is the exception rather than the rule.

Class one plagues are generally harmless or run through a population quickly. They are easily treated, easily prevented, and generally require PSA's and minor policing to control. The Immunoflu is a prime example of a benevolent plague, requiring less than seven days' of rest from work, and little in the way of control procedures. A wild rhinovirus is also a class one plague with recommended control procedures including: physical prophylaxis (masks, basic hygiene, preventative movement), some quarantine, PSA's, and palliative care professionals.

Class two plagues are also generally harmless and easily spread. However, they gain the classification by being both chronic and requiring permanent medication to be administered to the sufferer. Chronic medical conditions are not automatically class two plagues, but some class two plagues can result in a chronic medical condition. Herpes is a fine example as it can be contracted and spread easily, the symptoms are inconvenient at best and mildly painful at worst, and the disease can be easily controlled. In this case, the sufferer is duty-bound to inform all those surrounding them as a means of containment and control. Other means of control include: prophylaxis (preventative shields for likely infection), administration of antivirals, administration of vaccines to the uninfected, and minimisation of infective activity (eg: celibacy).

Class three plagues are easily spread and are the ones that can cause harm through engendering disabilities or otherwise endangering the weaker portion of the population. Control measures such as vaccination and quarantine are recommended for all class three plagues. Mediks are advised to check for printable strains of immunoflu in the event of an outbreak, as well as sourcing booster shots for the uninfected crew or population. Pinprick tests for immunity and asymptomatic carriers should be used on every potential carrier immediately after the first symptomatic patient is quarantined. Such plagues include: measles, than'tokki, mumps, rikhakkag, chicken pox, and many others...

Captain Gorthax breathed a sigh of relief as she hit the Offensensitivity warnings. Class two wasn't a problem. Well. It wasn't a big problem. Humans may have a social stigma, but as long as Human Sym used protection and didn't engage in wanton fluid exchange with any potential infectees, then all would be well. Even a flare-up wouldn't impede their duties by much.

She sent a memo to the ships' Mediks and got on with the rest of the paperwork for the day.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / Kateryna_Kon]

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