Angel and Riley - STDs and the Arena

[Elliot Strawbridge]

I was re-listening to Purgatory today at work when something crossed my mind...

Angel and Riley were in a pile of human remains for a number of hours while in the arena; I can't remember if it's been confirmed that these were human remains/ zombie remains/ both.

Either way, assuming they were human remains, the possibility that both Angel and Riley contracted STDs at this time are pretty high.

There are spitting sounds made during 10-2 when Angel and Riley exit the pile of bodies. This would indicate that at least one of them had human remains/ blood in their mouths.

The possibility that they could have contracted a deadly disease is very high. I wonder how this could play into future episodes...

[nikvoodoo]

I was re-listening to Purgatory today at work when something crossed my mind...

Angel and Riley were in a pile of human remains for a number of hours while in the arena; I can't remember if it's been confirmed that these were human remains/ zombie remains/ both.

Either way, assuming they were human remains, the possibility that both Angel and Riley contracted STDs at this time are pretty high.

There are spitting sounds made during 10-2 when Angel and Riley exit the pile of bodies. This would indicate that at least one of them had human remains/ blood in their mouths.

The possibility that they could have contracted a deadly disease is very high. I wonder how this could play into future episodes...

The body pile in the arena was human I believe. The dead zombie pile was outside. So while transmission is possible, it is somewhat unlikely.

Specifically, you seem to be leaning to the HIV/AIDS virus as the STD you're talking about. HIV/AIDS, while capable of surviving in a corpse, dies after about a minute outside the body. From what I can find, those that deal with the handling of cadavers are instructed to treat the body as infectious until the body is embalmed and the body has been completely drained of bodily fluids. The other "rule" to hold to is if the blood is dry, the infection is dead and not capable of surviving.

So while neither of those "handle with care" instructions necessarily apply to the body pile, one of the factors to keep in mind are any cuts or open wounds Angel and Riley may have had when they dove in. That increases the risk. As for getting blood in their mouth, it isn't automatic either. But once again, open wounds or sores in their mouths would increase the likelihood of becoming infected. But once the zombies ripped the flesh off the bone and the blood came out, the virus would be exposed to air and not contained inside the protection of the blood vessels/veins thus starting the process of dying.

Both Riley and Angel seemed to have entered the arena none the worse for wear considering what they went through. With no open wounds or gashes means that their skin is protecting their body from viral infections when they entered the pile.

Also, it doesn't mean they got it in their mouths. They were covered in...whatever they happened to be covered with, but if they had it on their faces and around their mouths they would have the same reaction of spitting. If this is case, it was spitting to keep it away from their mouths instead of expelling it from inside their mouths.

[Elliot Strawbridge]

It could be possible that they managed to keep the blood and body parts out of their bodies, but even any STD other than HIV/AIDs could cause big problems when trying to survive in the environment they are in. Even something like syphilis could become a big problem, and given the fact that sanitary conditions in any area are going to be sub-par, the risk of infection is elevated for the other survivors. It's kind of a soap-opera-esque plot line, but it could become a problem nonetheless.

[nikvoodoo]

This is very true. Ignoring whether or not it's possible they came in contact with an STD, if anyone happened to have one it would make things very difficult in an apocalypse setting.

[h3half]

About the spitting, a natural reaction to something absolutely disgusting is to throw up (if I remember, Riley did throw up at some point, I think it was after they got out of the pile). One thing the body does right before you throw up is that your mouth salivates, a LOT. If something is just utterly disgusting and you don't feel like throwing up, sometimes your mouth salivates then, too. If the spitting was right after they got out of the pile, it might have been Riley trying to get the salivation out of her mouth (it makes it hard to breath).

Theorizing about this is annoying because the production value of the podcast is so high that you have to consider EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. The possibilities are endless.

[nikvoodoo]

About the spitting, a natural reaction to something absolutely disgusting is to throw up (if I remember, Riley did throw up at some point, I think it was after they got out of the pile). One thing the body does right before you throw up is that your mouth salivates, a LOT. If something is just utterly disgusting and you don't feel like throwing up, sometimes your mouth salivates then, too. If the spitting was right after they got out of the pile, it might have been Riley trying to get the salivation out of her mouth (it makes it hard to breath).

Theorizing about this is annoying because the production value of the podcast is so high that you have to consider EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. The possibilities are endless.

Pretty sure the vomit was in the pile. But very good point about the salivation factor. It's been a hot minute since I threw up....I completely forgot about that unpleasant side effect.

[Elliot Strawbridge]

If I remember correctly Riley had chunks on her face and over her eyes... if any of that got into her eyes there's a chance of infection. Additionally, when washing herself off, and same with angel, the contact with their genitals could potentially cause infection. It's a pretty minor detail, but its something I could see coming up. Given the circumstances of the season two ending, the survivors have worse things to worry about.

[h3half]

Yeah, they definitely have much worse things to worry about than genital warts.

Of course, some STD's really wouldn't play a giant factor, if you had Crabs it wouldn't be a life-stopping realization. It would ruin your day, but not your week.