Only 12% have a plan if it happens.
With Halloween around the corner, a new study from YouGov Omnibus examines what Americans think about the likelihood of a zombie pandemic.
As any zombie aficionado knows, there are effectively two types of these fictional (for now) hungry horrors. The first is the classic undead zombie who has risen from the dead to sate its ravenous hunger for human flesh. The second popular potentiality is that a worldwide epidemic of an infectious disease (e.g. rabies) could turn swarms of humans into aggressive thoughtless monsters, presumably also hungry for human flesh.
YouGov reached out to American respondents on the subject. The Hollywood classic undead zombie was, for most, a less believable possibility. Only 9% of respondents considered it likely that undead zombies might ever walk the earth. Nearly three times that many respondents (28%) consider it likely that a worldwide epidemic of a neurological disease that makes people more aggressive and likely to lose control of their thoughts and motor functions.
Despite nearly a third of respondents considering a zombie-like outbreak possible, only a few have a plan. In fact, only 12% said they have a zombie plan – just 1% more than British respondents.
As for those with a plan, the most popular strategy will be to stay home with friends and family or find shelter somewhere else. Another group of 16% of respondents said they’d relocate to the wilderness, while 18% said they would gather weapons and go hunting for zombies.
