Extreme germ phobia

Chapter 22 Research Results
On the afternoon of the fifth day, the military made an unexpected decision to release the results of the first phase of research to everyone.

Ou Yang was very confused. According to common sense, even if this thing was not hidden, it could only be circulated within the US military. It seemed that it was not the style of the US military to make it public.

First of all, there are various signs before the infected person becomes ill.

One is that the spirit is extremely excited; two is that one talks to oneself inexplicably; three is that one suddenly becomes dazed or has an unsteady expression; four is that one's eyes are unfocused.

In addition, a small number of people will experience difficulty breathing, fever, cough and other discomfort symptoms, which are very similar to pneumonia.

"I hope everyone will pay attention to their own and others' conditions, and immediately notify the nearest protective suit if they find any abnormalities, and use medication in time to control the disease and avoid unnecessary danger!" the major said solemnly.

"There is evidence that the fungus is airborne, and the process is probably something like this... the spores are inhaled and enter the lungs, where they take root and continue to grow..."

"Wait a minute!" Norn couldn't help himself any longer. "Since you know that spores are transmitted through breathing, why don't you provide us with masks!"

The major was silent for a moment. "The diameter of the spores of this fungus ranges from 0.4 to 15 microns. Masks can only block particles larger than 2 microns in diameter, so their effect on fungal spores is very limited."

Norn was indignant: "What a limited effect! Just because it has limited effect, can the spores spread freely?"

His words resonated with many Americans, and the crowd immediately roared in anger.

The major remained motionless until the crowd quieted down, then he slowly replied, "We're not just leaving it alone. See that machine in the corner? It creates a floating substance similar to dust that can absorb large amounts of spores. It's much more effective than wearing a mask!"

When everyone heard this, they were all stunned.

And this thing?
Thinking carefully, the military did place a few machines of unknown function in the corner. Not only were they turned on 24 hours a day, but they were also maintained by dedicated personnel.

"Oh my god, is this true?" Zhu Yiming asked in surprise, "Why do I feel it's so unreliable?"

"It makes sense in principle, but it's hard to say whether it's reliable or not." Ou Yang also felt that this thing was just a tax on my IQ.

After answering the councilman's question, the major continued, "In the early stages of infection, spores are not produced and the infection is not contagious. This is temporarily called the incubation period. As the hyphae spread, the hyphae that enter the germination stage will grow into spherical nodules, which are the source of spores. The more caps there are, the more spores there are, and the more contagious they are."

Hearing this, Ou Yang and others looked conflicted.

It’s confirmed, it’s a poisonous mushroom. I wonder if this thing is the ancestor of the poisonous mushroom.

"How long is the incubation period?" Noen still spoke on behalf of everyone.

"It's still unclear," the major said. "In addition to spores, the mycelium can also produce a hallucinogenic substance of unknown composition, causing the host to experience various hallucinations. That's why the infected person behaves abnormally... Let me emphasize again, the incubation period is not contagious. It only becomes contagious when it enters the germination stage, when hallucinations occur!"

After hearing this, everyone started discussing again.

Uncle Hu pondered: "I don't think I've ever come into contact with a budding one...how about you?"

"Never been exposed to it? Come on, have you forgotten that night when it was like a parade of a hundred demons? Do you dare to say that you didn't get any spores on you?" Brother Zhang questioned.

Uncle Hu, who is usually sharp-tongued, was actually stumped by the question and was speechless.

I hope the information released is true!
Ou Yang thought to himself.

I don’t know if it’s a psychological effect, but ever since the US military made its research results public, he feels that everyone he looks at looks like they’re in a daze.

Sixth day of isolation.

That day, the situation worsened. Many people in Area B began to show signs of illness. Unknown to some, some skipped the symptoms and fast-forwarded, causing considerable chaos. As word spread, people became increasingly uneasy.

Isn't this just jumping straight into the germination stage? It would be strange if everyone wasn't panicking!
It was also on this day that the US military seemed to realize that something was wrong. The person in charge of the terminal was changed from major to lieutenant colonel, and the person in charge of the entire airport was changed from colonel to brigadier general.

The same level as the captain of a US aircraft carrier.

On the same day, Ou Yang saw the dull-eyed flight attendant being brought into Area A in protective clothing, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

That’s right, it was the lady who was surrounded and questioned by everyone on the day the airport was blocked.

Ou Yang told the news to others immediately, and everyone's expression changed.

After a while, Brother Zhang said quietly, "Isn't it not contagious during the incubation period?"

"That's not necessarily true. Who knows if what Lao Mi said is true or not!" Uncle Hu retorted unhappily.

Brother Zhang was immediately displeased: "Did I mean that? Did I mean that? You bite everyone you see all day long. Are you a dog?"

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Uncle Hu also got angry and rolled up his sleeves to compete with Brother Zhang.

"Enough, enough, what are you two doing?" Aunt Guo hurried to separate them.

"That's right, why are you blushing?"

"Stop arguing, stop arguing. You're making fun of Lao Mi, aren't you..."

Everyone persuaded them together and finally pulled the two people apart.

Aunt Guo was the oldest, so she put on display her seniority and adjusted her tone to persuade him, "Hey, what can I say? You two don't have bad tempers. If it were any other day, this would just be a joke, and no one would take it to heart. It's just that you've been isolated by Lao Mi for so long, and the pressure is too great, so you can't hold back your anger. Listen to me, it's not a big deal, don't take it to heart."

Brother Zhang was the first to speak out: "Auntie, I was too impulsive. I apologize."

"No, no, I'm just being careless with my words, don't take it to heart!" Uncle Hu also quickly looked for his own faults.

The two people reconciled as before.

Similar scenes continued to unfold among passengers, and some of them were even more emotional and rushed directly towards the protective suits guarding the terminal, and were almost shot dead on the spot by the US military.

On that day, the sound of gunfire in the city became more and more intense. Many citizens who had left returned to the airport. The number of people in Area E skyrocketed. During this period, there were many incidents of attacking the terminal, which were all blocked by the guards. No less than dozens of people were killed by the guns.

On the same day, dozens of infected people moved from Area B to Area A, and Area B was almost empty. Area A continued to expand and almost swallowed up Area B. All the people in Area C also moved out of the terminal, and everyone moved into the emergency military tents.

The US military thoughtfully provided a camp bed for each person.

At first glance, it seems to be following the US military's accommodation standards. The problem is that the tent is designed for twenty people, but more than forty people were crammed into it. After the tent was filled with camp beds, there was no place to stand.

He Qianqian and Aunt Guo were arranged by the US military to stay in a tent specially for women and were forced to separate from others.

　Update first and then revise... It seems like I'm stuck in a vicious circle. I don't have time to write during the day, and I'm not in a good state at night. I can't guarantee the quality but I have to write.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)