Does the thought of a zombie apocalypse happening while we are still in a pandemic scare you? 

Well, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released information on how to be prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Don’t worry though, there’s not actually going to be a zombie apocalypse, this is merely a tongue-in-cheek campaign to see how well people will be prepared in case of a brain-eating emergency.

As we continue to live in the middle of a pandemic, the timing of the CDC’s zombie preparedness was not the greatest, as we already have enough on our plate as we try to resolve the day-to-day issues of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Still, I felt a sense of relief figuring out the CDC released this as part of a campaign to see how people would react in an emergency. It caused a frenzy on apps like TikTok and Twitter, seeing it trend made me scared thinking something as terrifying as a zombie attack was being hidden from us. 

According to information posted on the CDC’s website, “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.” 

It’s understandable to try to always be prepared for the worst. However, since this information is coming from a reputable organization like the CDC, you would think they should focus more on the actual current issue of COVID-19 rather than popularize the thought of zombies coming anytime soon.

It may be seen as some sort of gimmick or joke to some people, but for others, when they first see headlines about the CDC giving zombie survival tips it would be understandable to think something bad is happening. Just like when COVID-19 started to gradually get worse, the CDC announced tips on how to prevent it and people began to implement those tips into their daily lives. 

Although, I’ll admit it was a great scare tactic for people to start taking things seriously in case of an emergency as bad as a zombie apocalypse. Some people haven’t even taken COVID-19 seriously, so maybe the CDC is giving us a wake-up call to take matters more seriously when something worse than COVID-19 happens. 

The survival tips given actually seem pretty useful too, everything you’d think you need for a zombie apocalypse, really. The preparedness of zombies includes a brief list of essentials like water, food, medications, sanitation and hygiene products, first aid supplies and more. 

For more information visit the CDC’s Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse here.