“I’m sure people get viruses on airplanes all the time,” I said. “I don’t think this can be prevented.”
Samantha continued, “Zara is not a common virus, like the flu or a cold. Zara has two characteristics that make it extremely dangerous. First, it is highly contagious. It is possible to contract Zara even if you’re breathing the same air as an infected person. One passenger on a long flight could infect the entire population of the airplane.”
Allie said, “How many people were on the plane?”
I said, “It didn’t seem that fu-”
Samantha interrupted, “39 passengers and 4 crew. We’re now working to contact all 43 of you, along with everyone all of you have encountered since leaving the plane.”
“Jesus,” I said.
“In addition, Zara can be transmitted by bodily fluids, such as saliva, blood, and semen. It has also been detected in the oils of infected patients’ skin.”
Allie said, “What happens to people who get Zara?”
Samantha sighed before answering. “This is the second of the two characteristics I mentioned before. So far, with the cases we’ve seen in Africa, Zara is fatal 96 percent of the time when people are infected.”
My eyes met Allie’s again, and this time I could see fear. My heart picked up speed and I could feel adrenaline engaging.
Samantha continued, “Victims start with a mild cough about a day after exposure. This usually lasts about another day before progressing to sharp abdominal pain and internal bleeding. I won’t go into further details, but you may want to do some research on Zara, as long as you can do so without encountering any people.”
“We will,” I said. “And what is the treatment?”
“Scientists are working on understanding the virus to create an antiviral therapy. But right now, there is no known cure or treatment.”
“Oh my god,” said Allie. “Are you saying that Jason is going to die?”
“We don’t know right now. We’ve isolated the passenger from Africa and we are monitoring his condition. We’ll know for sure whether he’s contracted the virus in about two days.” She waited a moment and then added, “But Allison, if Jason has the virus, it’s almost certainly infected you by now as well.”
Allison inhaled sharply as this news registered. I could hear her breathing rapidly and I saw a tear fall down her cheek. “No,” she said. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening.”
I said, “So what are we supposed to do?”
“This is critically important. I cannot stress enough the importance of your actions. What you do for the next two days could literally have life-and-death consequences. It is imperative that you not encounter any people until we know whether you have the virus. Is this clear?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Allie said, “But I have to go to work tomorrow.”
Samantha was patient but firm. “It will not be possible for you to go anywhere for the next two days. Not work, not anywhere. You need to remain contained inside the building until we know what’s happening. Allison, is this clear?”
“Yeah.” Her voice quavered.
Samantha asked, “Do you have enough to eat for the next two days without leaving the building?”