O'flannagan O'boy

"-hat are your new findings?"
"I'm glad you asked... What we've found, is quite unlike any other pathogen we've uncovered."
The camera zooms in on an autopsy, the body is pale and gaunt.
"This is a specimen infected by "O'Flannagan", a man believed to carry a pathogen capable of inducing neuro-obstruent disorders in people, especially those who are mentally or physically vulnerable. O'Flannagan's body is in a constant state of producing the most powerful form of this pathogen: what we consider the "Prime" or "Alpha" variant.
"What can this Alpha variant do to those infected?"
"That is impossible to say because the pathogen, strangely enough, is adversely affected by the oxygen in the open atmosphere. Although the pathogen cannot be outright destroyed in this environment, it will continue to deteriorate until rendered negligible. In this fully degenerate state, its strength is decreased by more than 95%, and only the most immuno-compromised systems have any trouble eliminating it. Due to this, the pathogen can no longer be considered in "Alpha state" once it comes into contact with oxygen or crosses between O'Flannagan and his victims. Anything in the bodies of future victims are considered Beta or lower. The only entity we have to observe the Alpha variant in is O'Flannagan themselves, as even corpses like this only harbor deformed variants."
The camera cuts to a top-down view in which the exposed chest cavity of the deceased is exposed. The organs look somewhat malnourished, yet intact, and with no other abnormalities observable besides the aforementioned outer body. The skin stretches tightly over the ribs, making the ridges the ribs create underneath more noticeable.
"What are the side effects of the Alpha variant?"
The doctor continues analyzing various parts of the body with forceps as he speaks
"The most upfront side effect is total psychosis. The terminal end result of neuro-obstruent disorders is the complete overwrite of a person's consciousness. In this state many individuals succumb to mania and can not make decisions for themselves at all. The pathogen may warp their personality or even instill an entirely new one in many cases. This is why O'Flannagan expresses a consistent state of energy and excitement. The disease has rewritten his personality and locked it one that desires socialization."
The interviewer's eyes flicker to the corpse's legs, where the left foot and kneecap have been forcefully removed.
"I see... What are the other variants like?"
"Each one is generally weaker than the last. The Beta variant, although capable of causing roughly the same type of psychosis, will subside after a finite period of time. That period of time depends largely on the amount of exposure one had to the pathogen. After this mania, a period of sluggishness will follow. This length of this lethargy again, depends on the amount of exposure one had to the pathogen, but it lasts longer than the mania. It is worth noting is that this fatigue is of a higher intensity than most, at worst it can send one into a zombie-like state for weeks on end without rest, which can often lead to fatality due to neglect or carelessness. What's more, they become incredibly contagious during this period. We suspect that they are still under the coercion of the virus even in this state. People in the latter half of the disease will often fall asleep in public areas or play dead, only to then infect those that get near them."
"What is the best course of treatment?"
The doctor pauses examining the body for a second, as if to focus on his next thoughts
"What you've just asked is something which has puzzled the medical field for quite a while. The pathogen does not seem to operate on a cellular level. Though it mimics a disease and causes disorder-like symptoms in people, there is very little in the way of a traditional illness. There is no bacterial, fungal, or viral agent at work. If that is the case, where should people be sent? Sending them to a hospital does very little if that hospital is focused on treating conventional plagues, and sending them to a mental hospital is also a bad idea because such places are not made to cure pathogens. The best course of action is to be sent to a place that can ideally deal with both. Furthermore, the disease causes two polar opposite symptoms, one right after the other. How do you adapt to this? You must have training to handle both periods of the illness, especially the latter half."
"That would be difficult... What about the other variants besides Alpha or Beta?"
The doctor resumes examining the body as the camera cuts to a close up of his forceps grabbing a piece of tissue
"The Gamma variant is even less potent than Beta, and Delta the same to Gamma. Each one seems to only inspire the lethargy in the infected rather than manic psychosis. Although infected can still pass the disease on, these variants take very little to be dealt with by an immune system, heavily limiting their ability to infect large swaths of the populace. Upon reaching some theoretical "Epsilon" variant, I imagine it would induce about as much fatigue as ingesting a moderately large meal. That being said, going back to the immune system comment I, I now realize I have forgotten a crucial issue..."
"...And that is?"
"This disease, no matter how weak it is, can still incur specific changes in a person depending on how stressed out, mentally, or emotionally compromised they are."
"Even in the fully degenerate form?"
"Yes. What's more, those variants can still be problematic in their own right. In many respects, they should be held with more caution than the Alpha variant..."
"Why is that?"
"The only currently documented "Neo-variant" we know of is the Sigma, or Psilon variant. Some want to label it Sigma in keeping with Greek nomenclature while others desire a Greek inspired name as they feel the variant is a mutation of the original and want to name it as such."
"What does this new variant do?"
"You become a walking cognitohazard."
"HUH?!"
"Your mind becomes fixated on certain phrases, parroting them over and over in a drunken like stupor. Those who hear you become compelled to repeat your words as well, and those that hear them will repeat their words as well."
"But this isn't part of the disease..."
"Correct. People become more mentally vulnerable to repetition in the form of phrases and utterances... Without needing infection. It is a fully transcended form of the disease. I hesitate to call it a mutation, but perhaps there is no other word."
"But can that subside?"
"In theory, yes. In practice, everyone continually affects each other and no one is ever truly "cured" unless separated..."
The doctor finishes his examination. He begins suturing the body as the body shoots upwards with a scream and the video abruptly ends.
CASE X-04-39