Infections

Virology for the Layperson: Preventing Diseases

Virology is sealed from the rest of the station. You are not on the disposals network, nor do you share the same atmos system

Diseases can be an annoyance to cure and prevent. However, if everyone does their part, an outbreak can be easy to deal with. If a disease is spreading, it's up to you to prevent yourself from getting it, or, if you're infected, preventing yourself from spreading it before you're cured.

Methods of Infection

The following are the methods by which a disease spreads. A virus in one of these tiers spreads as if by all tiers below it, unless it's in the Special tier. Each has listed the means to prevent spread, and are listed when getting a medical scan of the virus:

• Airborne - The most dangerous and quick spreading, if you are anywhere within the breathing area of the infected crew member, you have a chance to be infected.
• Contact - The infection infests the skin of the host. Merely touching, or bumping into them, is enough to catch the infection. If infected with a Contact virus, isolate yourself from high traffic areas. Wearing bio-protective clothes will protect from contact infection
• Fluids - The infection spreads through fluids, and is susceptible to mutation, if it's an advanced disease. Diseases which spread through fluids infect through vomit, blood, and similar floor splatters- wear bandages if infected and bleeding. White Shoes are sufficient to protect from most sources of Fluid spread disease.
• Blood - The infection will typically only spread through injection, bites, ingestion and other methods which must usually be intentional. Bloodborne viruses are of minimal concern- if infected, you can safely visit Medical for treatment. Blood transmission diseases can also be spread by sharing syringes- exercise extreme caution!
• Special - The disease is not normally contagious and the affected crewman has been infected by a non-human vector source. You can work with the infected without risk yourself unless they expose you to the same vector source that infected them.

Hunger

Being hungry makes it easier for you to transmit and catch diseases. Eat well, stay healthy!

Isolation

If you're infected with a virus, avoid contact with other crew! if the virus is deadly, try finding an alternate route into medical- don't give everyone in the lobby viral supertuberculosis!

Sterilization

Cleaning blood spills from the ground will prevent contact contamination. Make sure blood is cleaned from the floor at all times; any blood splatter out there could hold a dreaded space infection. Contact a janitor if you see blood on the floor, do not interact with the blood if you suspect possible infection chance. Any object or floor that has infected blood on it can infect anyone who handles or touches it.

Spaceacillin

Spaceacillin prevents diseases from spreading when injected into a host. use it to prevent further spread!

Biohazard PPE

The following PPE, or, personal protective equipment, all serves to slow the spread of disease, whether you are or are not infected:

• Wearing a full biosuit, and some EVA suits, will protect you entirely from Contact and Fluid based infections. This equipment does not protect from airborne illness- wear your internals!
• A virologist, CMO, geneticist, chemist, doctor, nurse suit, scrubs or Research Director jumpsuit provides some biological protection
• Wearing a labcoat also provides rudimentary protection from contact infection
• Latex Gloves (and nitrile gloves) provide some degree of protection from biohazards, though most gloves offer at least a partial degree. If you must pick up a biohazardous object, wear latex or nitrile gloves!
• Sterile masks offer some biohazard protection
• Shoes (White shoes and Galoshes are the best) will protect you from diseases transmitted from puddles on the floor to some degree, with White Shoes providing the most protection
• Internals are a foolproof way to protect yourself from airborne pathogen

Mutations

Some viruses mutate when spread. This may change their cure. However, they're still susceptible to the same vaccine! If a virus is shown to mutate, make sure to produce vaccines.

Curing an infection

Most infections have a chemical cure, which can be administered to remove the infection. Generally, 5 to 10 units are sufficient to cure an infection. However, once you are cured, you should take a blood sample and give it to the virologist!

Vaccination

A vaccine is a special reagent that the virologist can create using the blood of a person who has been cured of a disease. Unlike a Cure, only one tenth of a unit of a vaccine is necessary to cure a disease, and it has no side effects, unlike some cures

Creating Vaccines

The Virologist has access to a machine called the PanD.E.M.I.C 2200. This machine has the capability to produce a Vaccine when given blood containing antibodies- IE, blood of a cured person. Simply put a beaker containing this blood into the machine, select an infection to synthesize a vaccine for, and you'll have a bottle full of 15 units of vaccine!

Simple Diseases

Thankfully, humanity has managed to cure and eliminate almost all of the diseases that plagued its infancy. However, the vast reaches of space have been found to harbor new illnesses that can affect the unprepared staff on Nanotrasen research stations. The following diseases and afflictions aren't necessarily even diseases- some of them lack vaccines. If a disease can't be vaccinated, curing it is not within the domain of the virologist's job.

Disease Name	Vector Name	Source	Description	Spread	Cure
Alien Parasite	Xenomorph	Alien	A facehugger has implanted an embryo inside of the body of the victim, which will grow until it kills and destroys the body while spawning a larva. There is no vaccine for alien parasites.	Special	Surgery
Zombie Infection	Romerol	Syndicate Uplink	A rare infection, which lies dormant in the victim. If the victim dies before it is cured, it will rise as an aggressive zombie, who will then transfer the infection to anyone it manages to scratch. The infection consists in a tumor located inside the head. There is no vaccine for Zombie Infection.	Special	Surgery
Brain Rot	Cryptococcus Cosmosis	Virus crate, random events	An infection that causes mental degradation.	Contact	Mannitol
Cold	XY-Rhinovirus	Virology, random events	Still around since the dawn of man, this disease is relatively harmless, causing fatigue and a runny nose. Will progress to the Flu when untreated.	Airborne	Rest and Spaceacillin
Cold 9	ICE9-Rhinovirus	Admin fuckery	A rare disease that will progressively lower the victim's body temperature in addition to respiratory symptoms.	Contact	Spaceacillin
Flu	H13N1 Flu Viron	Virology, random events	A common illness, causes fatigue, high fever, and muscle toxicity. Rarely fatal, quickly spread.	Airborne	Spaceacillin
Anxiety	Excess Lepidopticides	Virus crate	Will cause feelings of anxiety and cause the victim to cough butterflies.	Contact	Ethanol
GBS	Gravitokinetic Bipotential SADS+	Admin fuckery	An extremely dangerous illness caused by contagious micro-singularities that will cause the human body to be torn apart from the inside. The initial phase begins in the lungs and mimics flu symptoms.	Contact	Sulfur and Synaptizine
Jungle Fever	Kongey Vibrion M-909	Admin fuckery	One of the most feared diseases in the galaxy, this is a disease carried by primates. A single bite or scratch is enough to fully infect a human. The result is spontaneous genetic reversion, and the affected individual will also become a monkey. There is no vaccine for Jungle Fever.	Special	Bananas, Death Squad
Magnitis	Fukkos Miracos	Virus crate, random events	An infection of magnetic bacteria that build up in the body. As the disease progresses any metallic items not bolted down near the infected person will be pulled toward them, even objects as large as canisters. Ingested iron will draw the bacteria to it and allow them to be excreted normally.	Contact	Iron
Pierrot's Throat	H0NI<42 Virus	Virus crate, random events	A brain disease that was brought back with the original explorers of Clown Planet that damages the basal ganglia, victims will have an uncontrollable urge to HONK.	Airborne	Bananas
Retrovirus	N/A	Admin fuckery	A DNA-altering retrovirus that will constantly mutate the genetic code of the host. Symptoms vary wildly from blindness to incredible fits of strength and green skin.	Contact	Rest or Mutadone
Space Retrovirus	S4E1 Retrovirus	Random events	A DNA-altering retrovirus that will copy the DNA of the first infected and apply it to every other infected.	Contact	Mutadone
Robotic Transformation	R2D2 Nanomachines	Roburgers, odd pizzas	A rare infection that slowly transforms the infected into a cyborg.	Special	Copper
Spanish Flu	1nqu1s1t10n Flu Viron	Admin fuckery	A rare and deadly form of flu that causes an incredibly high fever. Those infected will die of internal burns without treatment or religious conversion.	Airborne	Spaceacillin
Wizarditis	Rincewindus Vulgaris	Hacked MagiVend	A rare illness, causes spontaneous robe growth, randomly speaking incantations, and finally random teleportation.	Airborne	Manly Dorf
Xenomorphic Transformation	Rip-LEY Alien Microbes	Admin fuckery	A rare infection caused by xeno-microbes, changing the infected's DNA to that of a xenomorph. Symptoms include severe pain and progressive insanity.	Special	Glycerol and Spaceacillin
Heart Disease	N/A	Random event	The game categorizes it as a virus, and it progresses in stages, like a virus, so it's listed here. There is no vaccine for Heart Disease.	N/A	Corazone, Electric Shocks, Heart Replacement Surgery
Fungal Tuberculosis	Fungal Tubercle bacillus Cosmosis	Nuke Ops Uplink	A rare highly transmittable virulent virus. Few samples exist, rumoured to be carefully grown and cultured by clandestine bio-weapon specialists. Causes fever, vomiting, lung damage, weight loss, and fatigue.	Airborne	Salbutamol and Spaceacillin
Gondola Transformation	Tranquility	Raw Gondola meat	Consuming the flesh of a Gondola comes at a terrible price. Produces Pax within the victims body resulting in pacifism, lessened motor control of the arms, and eventually turning the victim into a Gondola.	Special	Condensed Capsaicin
The Rhumba Beat	Unknown	Random events	Causes the infected to take burn damage, be lit on fire, and finally: start exploding when it reaches the last stage. Chick Chicky Boom!	Contact	Plasma

Virology 101: Advanced Diseases

[SULFUR IV], the Virologist says: "[Greetings, loyal Nanotrasen employee! I am Sulfur IV], NANOTRASEN'S TOP VIROLOGIST. I HAVE [PHDs in biochemistry, epidemiology, genetics, philosophy, bioengineering, and software engineering, and multiple awards for my achievements in virology and related fields], AND I'M GOING TO [educate the next generation of promising young doctors on] EXACTLY HOW TO CREATE [safe and beneficial viral agents]! LISTEN WELL, AS [you may replay this recording as many times as you need to in order to understand the material]"

Tools of the Trade

PanD.E.M.I.C 2200

The Pandemic 2200 is a stationary, versatile machine used for Virology. When you place a beaker, bottle, or other container that holds blood that contains a virus, the Pandemic will scan it. It will give you the virus' precise stats, transmission type, cure, and full explanations on each of its symptoms, and their thresholds, regardless of the virus' stealth.

Creating a Culture

The pandemic can be used to create a culture of a virus, on a small cooldown. This creates a bottle of 20 units of synthblood that contains a copy of the virus within the extrapolator. This function alone makes the Pandemic an essential tool for a virologist

Vaccination

When a virus is cured, that person's blood will contain antibodies. On a much longer cooldown than creating a culture, a Vaccine can be created for any cured viruses in a blood sample.

Viral Extrapolator

The viral extrapolator is a bulky, slow, but portable device, used to scan and extract diseases on the go. It has two modes, which can be toggled by using it in-hand. Using an extrapolator on any target that has any sort of viral contamination will preform a special interaction, depending on what mode it's in Scan tells you what diseases are held within the target, if any, what symptoms they have, and what stage they are at. An extrapolator will not tell you the cure. If a virus is too stealthy, it will show you that the virus is there, but will not tell you any more information Extract can be used to harvest an advance disease from the target. If used on a culture bottle, it can be used to isolate a single symptom. The extrapolator takes twenty seconds to extract a disease, and one minute to isolate a symptom. There is a two minute cooldown before the extrapolator can be reused. It cannot isolate symptoms of a level higher than seven.

Upgrading the extrapolator

By using a screwdriver on the extrapolator, you can remove its scanning module. Replacing it with a higher tier scanning module significantly lowers its cooldown and use times, as well as allowing isolation of higher level symptoms. You can print out more scanning modules in the medical lathe- these are very important if you want to get higher level symptoms!

Symptom Isolation

The viral extrapolator has a second, very potent use: by using it on a virus culture bottle whilst it is in Extract mode, you can isolate symptoms, depending on the extrapolator's scanner level- a tier 2 or higher scanner is required for level 8 symptoms, and a tier 3 or higher scanner is required for level 9 symptoms. Isolating a symptom creates a culture bottle containing nothing but that symptom.

Other Useful Tools

• Dropper: All virus recipes only need one unit of chemical, so a dropper is absolutely essential for transferring the smaller amounts
• Bio-bag: You will likely isolate many symptoms, and find many diseases with your extrapolator, and you can keep all of those cultures in a handy biobag! you can find these in biohazard lockers
• Medical belt: A medical belt can hold your bulky extrapolator, biobags, droppers, etc. You can find one in medbay storage

Advanced Diseases: an explanation

An Advanced Disease is a special kind of virus, which has special Stats and Symptoms, which control its effects and attributes

Understanding stats

Outside of symptom thresholds, stats are somewhat simple to understand

Stealth

If stealth is above two, medical scanners and medical HUDs cannot detect it.

Stage Speed

Stage speed influences a viruses incubation period, or Stage. A virus has five stages, with a probability equal to its Stage Speed (or 2, if stage speed drops below 2) each disease tick to progress to the next stage- more stage speed makes a virus progress faster

Resistance

Resistance determines how hard a virus is to cure- the higher the resistance, the longer a cure will take to cure a virus. Resistance also determines which cure a virus uses- Divide the amount of symptoms in a virus by two, subtract it from the virus' resistance, and consult the table below to determine which list of cures it will pick from. Only one cure will be picked from the list!

1 or less	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11 or more
Water, Nutriment, Ash, Iron	Ethanol, Radium, Potassium, Lithium, Oil	Table Salt, Nicotine, Space drugs	Saline-Glucose Solution, Antihol, Welding fuel, Space Cleaner	Spaceacillin, Mindbreaker Toxin, Itching Powder, Cryoxadone, Epinephrene	Miner's Salve, Oxolandrone, Atropine	Leporazine, Holy Water, Neurine	Concentrated Barber's Aid, Happiness, Pentetic Acid	Haloperidol, Pax, Black Powder, Diphenhydramine	Lipolicide, Ketamine, Methamphetamine	Krokodil, Quantum Hair Dye, Modafinil

Transmission

Transmission determines the vector by which a virus spreads. Subtract the amount of symptoms from a virus' transmission stat, and then consult the following table to determine what vectors your virus is capable of using to spread

Any result	3 or more	4 or more	5 or more
Blood	Fluids	Contact	Airborne

Severity

Severity is a special stat. it is added up in a special order, depending on the symptom. Severity affects disease mutation, which disease slot it occupies within a host, and how the disease appears on a medical HUD. The process to determine severity is detailed below

1. Neutered symptoms have no effect on severity
2. Symptoms with 5 or higher severity are added. If severity is greater than 5 already, add that symptom's severity minus five instead
3. If severity is less than 5, symptoms with severity of 1-2 are added, to a maximum of 3 severity
4. If severity is less than 5, symptoms with a severity of 3-4 are added, to a maximum of 4 severity
5. Symptoms with a severity of 0 or less are added

Advanced Disease Slots

Every host has five special advanced disease slots, each of which can have a different disease. If a disease tries to infect the same slot as another disease, its transmission must be at least twice the resistance of the disease occupying the slot, in which case, it pushes the occupying disease out, but doesnt cause immunity. Simple diseases do not occupy disease slots. This mechanic may be exploited by a virologist to stack multiple diseases- typically, no more than three.

1. The first slot is occupied by diseases with 0 or lower severity
2. The second slot is occupied by diseases with 1 to 4 severity
3. The third slot is occupied by diseases with 5 or higher severity
4. The fourth slot is occupied by Sentient diseases
5. The fifth slot is occupied by Dormant diseases. there is no limit to diseases in this slot, but none of them do anything

Symptoms

A Symptom is a single effect a virus causes. A virus can have up to 6 symptoms. Symptoms each have their own stats, which are added to the virus' stats (except severity, which is calculated differently). Symptoms go from levels 0-9.

Symptom Levels

• Level 0 symptoms are wacky symptoms that could fit within levels 1-6, outside of the fact they're ridiculous. Can only be obtained from Anomalous Virus Food, or mutant clown and mime viruses
• Levels 1 and 2 are mundane virus symptoms you could expect to see on an everyday virus
• Level 3 symptoms are lower grade negative symptoms that are merely debilitating.
• Level 4 symptoms alter how a virus itself acts
• Level 5 symptoms are odd symptoms that are primarily useful for stat boosts
• Level 6 symptoms are low-tier beneficial symptoms and neutral symptoms with unique effects
• Level 7 symptoms are potentially lethal negative symptoms
• Level 8 symptoms are beneficial symptoms that are more universally useful than level 6 symptoms
• Level 9 symptoms are the most powerful symptoms. They arent reliably obtainable, and would fit into any other level besides being generally more powerful than most other symptoms in some way

Thresholds

Most symptoms have Stat Thresholds. If the virus they are included in meets a threshold, they gain a new and interesting effect. Thresholds are one of the most important parts of being a robust virologist. Use them!

Disease chemicals and modification

Combining diseases

If you mix two disease cultures, the viruses will be combined, mixing their symptoms. this is useful if you have been isolating symptoms with an extrapolator.

Synaptizine

Synaptizine, aside from being a base chemical, will remove one random symptom to any virus it comes in contact with. It isn't as useful as it used to be, but you may find some niche uses for it, especially if you lack an extrapolator

Spaceacillin

Spaceacillin will "Falter" a disease, making it unable to spread by any method but injection, and some symptoms like Macrophage. Good for personal diseases, or if you wanna meet a transmission threshold without spreading the disease.

Cryostylane

Cryostylane will Preserve a disease, making it unable to be mutated any further. If you finish a disease, you should Preserve it so it can't be edited. A Preserved disease won't evolve while spreading- if you make a spreading beneficial disease, you should definitely preserve it.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde will neuter one random symptom when mixed with a virus. This disables its effects while keeping the attributes intact. This is useful for meeting threshold values without making the virus deadly. You should always neuter stat symptoms with mechanical effects, such as Sneezing, Ducatopod, etc. Neutering a symptom sets its severity to 0

Virus Evolution

When a virus that has not been preserved through Cryostylane that can spread via the Fluids vector infects a target, and is not the "master copy" of a virus, it has a chance to Evolve.

Evolution chance

Viruses have a 35% chance to evolve when transmitted. subtract the virus' net Stealth and Resistance from this score (this cannot increase mutation chance above 50) to get the base evolution chance of a virus

Evolution Level

Viruses do not evolve equally. When a virus evolves, the level of the symptom it evolves to is determined by its Severity

• The minimum level of this symptom is between 1 and 6, determined by subtracting three from the virus' severity
• The maximum level of this symptom is equal to the virus' severity plus 4, though it cannot exceed nine
• Exceedingly rarely, or if the target is a Clown or a Mime, the virus may evolve a level 0 symptom instead. If the conditions to do this are met, it can just spawn a lower level symptom instead, however

Curing a mutant virus

Viruses change cures when they mutate. However, immunity to one is immunity to all strains! Additionally, a vaccine for one strain works for all strains of the virus!

Making a virus

[SULFUR IV], the Virologist says: "And we come to the meat of why I was the one hired to write this boring textbook of a guide that my corporate editor is no doubt going to [do their job and maintain a professional tone on]. I'm going to teach you exactly how a pro designs a virus. According to my contract, I don't have to tell you any procedure as far as it comes to actually doing the nitty-gritty of it, so I won't- you gotta find out the technique yourself. Good luck, [soon-to-be qualified individual]"

Creating a virus recipe

This is the first step to designing your virus, and it's the most important one. Before you even start, you need a game plan- what kind of virus are you going to make? do you want it to be just for yourself? for the crew? [Are you designing a proof-of-concept virulent agent for the purpose of a Nanotrasen-signed military arms contract]?. After that, choose your symptoms, calculate their totals, and take thresholds into account.

• Most viruses for impersonal use are designed on a single virus, due to the fact that spreading multiple diseases at once presents unforeseen challenges, and that most people who would accept a normal beneficial disease do not want to deal with the inconveniences of higher-severity symptoms
• If you're creating a virus for yourself, however? try to make a virus that uses all three disease channels available to you. Remember that most deadly symptoms can, in some way, be inhibited by a beneficial symptom or two.

Obtaining Symptoms

The first thing a virologist needs to do once they have a recipe is hunt down the symptoms they need to make that recipe. This is what a virologist will spend most of their shift doing! Use one of the methods detailed below to find the symptoms you need

Symptom Hunting

The Viral Extrapolator can be used to extract diseases from several sources. Clicking a valid source with the extrapolator in Scan mode will determine if it has a disease, and, if the disease is not too stealthy, what symptoms it has. Otherwise, clicking a valid source with the extrapolator in Extract mode will extract the disease from the target. The following sources are the most common sources of viruses, usually found in maintenance:

• Bloodstains. Only dried blood or old gibs will spawn with diseases.
• Vomit. Only crusty, dried vomit will spawn with diseases.
• Syringes. Only used syringes, found in maint, will spawn with diseases. These will spread their disease when used! be careful.
• Mice and rats. These will also spread their disease when eaten- be careful
• Vector, the virologist's pet hamster, always has an extractable disease.

Dormant Diseases

Dormant Diseases are an inactive disease on a station employee. Employees of some jobs are likelier to have diseases than others, and some races are less or more likely to have diseases. Experiment! A dormant disease can be obtained like any other hunted disease, or you may take a blood sample of the affected employee. Dormant diseases are special in that they are unsuited for modification- you must isolate their symptoms for use

Mutagenic Chemicals

Virological Reagents are used to obtain a symptom from a specific symptom level. This is generally less efficient than other methods of obtaining symptoms, and cannot obtain level 9 symptoms. Generally, the most efficient way to obtain a symptom via mutagenic chemicals is dumping one unit of the chemical into a culture with one symptom until you find the symptom you want, without clearing the bottle. After you find the desired symptom, use the extrapolator to isolate it.

• Anomalous Virus Food: Discovered when an intern spilt their banana milkshake in one of my cultures, Anomalous Virus Food can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 0 symptom. It is made by combining ten units of pure Laughter (made by mixing banana juice and sugar) with virus food. This is the only way to obtain level 0 symptoms on a reliable basis- so if you wish to use one, you are required to use anomalous virus food.
• Virus Food: You can make virus food with Water and Milk. Virology lab has its own Virus Food Dispenser. Mixing this with a disease will give that disease a symptom of level 1 to 2. Pure virus food is the only way to get level 2 symptoms, so, unlike plasma and mutagen, it is useful alone.
• Unstable Mutagen: You can use mutagen to mutate your disease and give it a symptom of level 2 to 4. Virology starts with a 30u bottle of mutagen.
• Liquid Plasma: Plasma can be used to mutate your disease to give it a symptom of level 4 to 6. Plasma in liquid form is generally in very limited supply, unless mining and chemistry cooperates with you. Virology starts with a 30u bottle of liquid plasma, and in some station layouts with extra plasma bars.
• Virus rations: Virus rations can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 1 symptom. It is made by depleting Virus food with Synaptizine. Level 1 symptoms almost universally boost stats, but have very little effect. Level 2 symptoms tend to be a bit better, so it's wise to leave virus food as-is.
• Mutagenic Agar: Mutagenic agar can be used to mutate your disease to give it a level 3 symptom. It is made by mixing Unstable mutagen and virus food together. Level three symptoms tend to be either decent stat-boosters, or subpar active symptoms.
• Sucrose Agar: Sucrose agar can be used to mutate your disease to give it a level 4 symptom. It is made by mixing Sugar or Saline Glucose Solution and Mutagenic agar together. Level four symptoms are quite weak, so there is very little point to mixing this.
• Weakened Virus Plasma: Weakened virus plasma can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 5 symptom. It is made by weakening virus plasma using Synaptizine. Level 5 symptoms tend to be some of the strongest stat symptoms
• Virus Plasma: Virus plasma can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 6 symptom. It is made by mixing liquid plasma with virus food. Level 6 symptoms are the strongest active symptoms available without uranium or Highly Unstable Virus Food
• Decaying Uranium Gel: Decaying Uranium Gel can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 6 or 7 symptom. It is made by combining 1 virus food with 1 liquid Uranium. Efficient compared to Unstable gel, but slower to use.
• Unstable Uranium Gel: Unstable Uranium Gel can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 7 symptom. It is made by combining 1 virus plasma with 5 liquid Uranium. Level 7 symptoms contain potent stat symptoms, and several esoteric symptoms.
• Stable Uranium Gel: Stable Uranium Gel can be used to mutate your disease and give it a level 8 symptom. It is made by combining 1 plasma with 10 parts liquid Uranium and 10 parts liquid silver or gold. Level 8 symptoms contain some of the most potent healing symptoms, as well as some very difficult to deal with deadly symptoms.

Viral Evolution

Viral evolution is the slowest and least efficient way to obtain symptoms. However, it's also the only way to reliably obtain level 9 symptoms. The lower a viruses cumulative resistance and stealth are, the likelier a virus is to mutate when it is transmitted. Viruses do not mutate when first injected, nor do they mutate if they cannot spread by fluid transmission. If a virus mutates, it will gain a new symptom. This symptom's level depends on the viruses severity- the lowest possible level is the lower of severity-3, or 6. The highest possible level is severity +4, or 9. The best way to obtain new symptoms through viral evolution is testing a transmittable, deadly disease on monkeys, and curing it when monkeys dont get what you want, that you may reuse them. Follow biohazard protocol whilst doing so!

Biohazard Protocol

Testing and evolving a virus is very dangerous. Make sure to warn all visitors and medical personnel when experimenting with a virus. Wear proper protective gear, so as not to expose yourself to the virus. If you get infected, do not leave your laboratory! call for help, so as not to spread the virus!

Finalizing your virus

When you have found all your symptoms, it's a simple manner of isolating them, combining them, making cultures, and then doing a few final steps, depending on the virus

• If your virus is transmittable by Fluids, consider adding Cryostylane to the mix. This will prevent it from mutating!
• If your virus is transmittable at all, you must get the approval of the Chief Medical Officer and the Captain before using it outside of your laboratory.
• If you plan to distribute a virus to the public, get the approval of the Chief Medical Officer
• If your virus does not have a symptom that will transmit it regardless of its transmission vector, adding Spaceacillin will Falter it, and prevent it from spreading.
• If you are a race that isn't virus immune, but can't gain a disease by normal means, whether due to being unable to drink, or being unable to inject a virus, you can have an infected monkey bite you. If no monkeys are available, you can use a Cryotube- placing the culture in the tube will infect you

Symptoms Table

Hover over the thresholds to see the effects of each.

Symptom	Stealth	Resistance	Stage speed	Transmission	Severity	Level	Required Chemical	Effect	Threshold (hover mouse over for details)
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome	-2	0	-1	-2	5	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Causes heavy suffocation damage, while giving a small chance of heart attacks. Becomes even more lethal if the mob has more than 120 suffocation damage. Has no effect if the host does not need to breath	Stage Speed 8, Transmission 8
Alopecia	0	3	2	2	0	5	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Causes rapid hair loss.	None
Alkali perspiration	2	-2	-2	-2	5	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Causes the affected mob to burst into flames periodically. Makes victims explode on contact with water.	Stealth 3, Stage Speed 8, Resistance 8
Autophageocytosis Necrosis	-2	-2	1	-2	5	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Causes the mob's cells to decay rapidly, causing brute damage, constant bleeding and elevated hunger. Thought to be a precursor to the active viral component of Romerol. This is supported by the fact that it has no effect on the undead.	Stage Speed 7, Stealth 5
Bee Infestation	-2	2	1	1	2	0	Anomalous Virus Food	Infests the host's stomach with bees, causing minor toxin damage and bee-filled coughs.	Resistance 12, Transmission 10
Biometallic Replication	0	1	4	-1	0	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	The virus becomes able to infect robotic species, such as IPCS. The virus also allows inorganic hosts to use nanites.	Stage Speed 4, Resistance 4, Stage Speed 12
Blob Spores	1	6	-2	1	3	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	The host produces blob spores, causing them to pop on death, spawning a blob tile and releasing blob spores.	Resistance 8, Resistance 11, Resistance 14
Cornu Cutaneum	-3	3	-3	0	1	8	Anomalous Virus Food	The host damages anyone who touches them	Resistance 6, Transmission 6
Coughing	-1	3	1	2	0	0	Virus Food/Virus Rations	The host coughs occasionally	resistance 3, Resistance 10, Stage Speed 6, Stealth 4
Confusion	1	-1	-3	0	2	3	Unstable Mutagen/Sucrose Agar	Makes the affected mob be confused for short periods of time, making them walk in random directions.	Resistance 6, Transmission 6, Stealth 4
Deafness	-1	-1	1	-3	2	3	Unstable Mutagen/Sucrose Agar	Causes intermittent loss of hearing.	Resistance 9, Stealth 4
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Saboteur	-2	-3	0	-3	3	3	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Gives a random disability. The disabilities are cured when the disease is cured.	Stage Speed 10, Resistance 8, Stealth 5
Dermagraphic Ovulogenesis	-3	1	0	2	-1	8	Highly Unstable Virus Food	The virus causes the host to grow egg-like nodules on their skin, which periodically fall off and contain the disease and some healing chemicals.	Transmission 12, Transmission 16, Resistance 10, Stealth 6, Stage Speed 10
Ducatopod	0	2	5	-2	2	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Causes the host to secrete industrial grade lubricant from their feet.	Transmission 10, Resistance 14
Eternal Youth	3	4	4	-4	0	5	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Makes you never physically older than young adulthood and prevents death by old age. !Should be used for buffing your disease.	None
Facial Hypertrichosis	1	3	3	1	0	5	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Makes you grow a massive beard, regardless of gender.	None
Fever	-1	3	3	2	0	2	Virus Food	Heats up your body. Will not reach damaging levels of heat unless resistance thresholds are met.	Resistance 5, Resistance 10
Hallucigen	1	-1	1	1	1	3	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Makes the affected mob have hallucinations for short periods of time. Available in Virus Crates.	Stage Speed 7, Stealth 2
Headache	-1	4	2	0	0	1	Virus Food/Virus Rations	Displays an annoying message! Should be used for buffing your disease.	Stage Speed 6, Stage Speed 9, Stealth 4
Heart Disease	2	1	-6	-2	5	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Causes the affected mob to have a heart attack. Usually takes a very long time to occur even after reaching stage 5, and provides a large bold red text warning.	Stealth 2, Transmission 10
Hemorrhaging Fasciitis	-3	-2	0	-1	4	7	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Host experiences severe bleeding, which will become lethal.	Resistance 10, Transmission 8
Hyperperspiration	1	-1	0	1	1	6	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Causes the host to sweat, lowering firestacks by a small amount and sometimes leaving a puddle of water.	Transmission 4, Transmission 6, Stage Speed 6
Hyphema	-1	-3	-4	-2	3	3	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Inflicts eye damage over time. Causes blindness if left unchecked.	Resistance 12, Stealth 4
Inorganic Biology	-1	4	-2	3	0	4	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	The virus becomes able to affect inorganic species, such as Golems or Plasmamen.	None
Irradiant Cells	-1	2	-1	2	3	7	Stable Uranium Gel	The host's cells destabilize, causing them to become radioactive and take radiation damage	Stage Speed 8
Itching	0	3	3	1	0	1	Virus Food/Virus Rations	Displays an annoying message. Should be used for buffing your disease. Can do slight brute damage if the stage speed threshold is met.	Transmission 6, Stage Speed 7
Macrophage	-4	1	-2	2	2	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	The virus grows within the host, ceasing to be microscopic and causing severe bodily harm. These Phages will seek out, attack, and infect more viable hosts.	Resistance , Stage Speed , Transmission 10, Transmission 12
Metabolic Boost	-1	-2	2	1	0	8	Unstable Mutagen/Sucrose Agar	Doubles the host's metabolism speed, making them process chems much faster than normal, but also increasing their hunger tenfold.	Stealth 3, Stage Speed 10
Mind Restoration	-1	-2	1	-3	-1	6	Plasma/Virus Plasma	The virus strengthens the bonds between neurons, reducing the duration of any ailment of the mind. Heals brain damage, and can cure mild and heavy traumas if upgraded.	Resistance 6, Resistance 9, Transmission 8
Nano-symbiosis	0	2	2	-1	0	6	Unstable Uranium Gel	The virus multiplies metal and silicate structure, enhancing nanite replication and healing the host's mechanical bodyparts. This can cause some unpredictable nanite activation.	Stage Speed 7, Transmission 5
Narcolepsy	1	-1	-2	-2	3	3	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Makes the host drowsy and prone to falling asleep randomly.	Transmission 7, Resistance 10
Necrotic Metabolism	2	2	2	0	0	4	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	The virus becomes able to affect undead races, and continues to process even when the host dies. It's especially useful if combined with symptoms like Bee Infestation or Macrophage	None
Necropolis Seed	0	3	-10	-3	-1	9	Highly Unstable Virus Food	Makes the host do more damage with their punches, take less damage, and slows them down.	Stealth 8, Resistance 15, Resistance 20
Neural Decay	1	-2	-3	-1	3	7	Stable Uranium Gel	The host's brain begins to die, dealing high brain damage	Resistance 10 Transmission 12
Organic Flux Induction	0	-1	-1	-2	2	6	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Causes EMPs on the host occasionally. Has a cell damage healing threshold.	Stealth 2, Transmission 8
Pierrot's Throat	-1	3	1	2	0	0	Anomalous Virus Food	The host honks occasionally	Transmission 10, Resistance 10, Resistance 15
Pituitary Disruption	-3	-2	1	-2	1	8	Unstable Uranium Gel	Causes the host to grow, with size scaling with stage speed. Has brute healing thresholds.	Stage Speed 6, Stage Speed 12
Polyvitiligo	0	1	4	1	0	0	Anomalous Virus Food	The host changes color randomly.	None
Regenerative Coma	0	2	-3	-3	-2	8	Stable Uranium Gel	Causes the host to fall into a death-like coma when heavily damaged, then rapidly cures their wounds.	Stealth 2, Resistance 4, Stage Speed 7
Revitiligo	1	2	1	2	0	5	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Makes the host black. Every virologist's first joke plague. No one finds it funny anymore.	None
SBG Syndrome	1	2	3	1	0	0	Anomalous Virus Food	Makes cockroaches crawl from the user's face. Should be used for buffing your disease.	Transmission 8, Stage Speed 8
Self-Respiration	1	-3	-3	-4	-1	8	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Quickly heals oxygen damage, negating the need for air.	Resistance 8
Sensory Restoration	0	1	-2	2	-1	4	Unstable Mutagen/Sucrose Agar	Restores mob's senses by fixing eye and ear damage and curing hallucinations.	None
Shivering	0	2	2	2	0	2	Virus Food	Cools down your body. Won't reach damaging levels unless thresholds are met.	Stage Speed 5, Stage Speed 10
Silicolysis	0	4	-1	1	0	6	Unstable Uranium Gel	The virus reacts to nanites in the host's bloodstream by attacking and consuming them, which also causes them to go haywire as they die. The virus' silicon-eating will also severely damage mechanical bodyparts.	Stage Speed 5, Resistance 7
Sneezing	-2	3	0	4	0	1	Virus Food/Virus Rations	Causes the mob to occasionally sneeze.	Stealth 4
Spontaneous Combustion	1	-1	-2	-1	4	7	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Sets your body on fire periodically, with amount of stacks based on stage speed, minus stealth. Fire intensity is doubled if the host is fat.	Stage Speed 4, Stage Speed 8, Transmission 8, Stealth 4
Superficial healing	-1	-2	-2	0	-1	8	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Heals brute and burn damage passively, if you have under 15 of either	Resistance 10 Stage Speed 8
Thermal Retrostable Displacement	0	2	-2	-3	0	8	Stable Uranium Gel	If the host gets too hot or too cold, they will teleport to a location where they were at a safe temperature previously. The temperature the area is NOW doesn't matter, though. Has burn healing thresholds.	Resistance 6, Transmission 8
Toxolysis	0	-2	2	-2	0	6	Unstable Uranium Gel	Purges all chemicals at a fast rate from the bloodstream.	Resistance 7, Stage Speed 6
Viral Aggressive Metabolism	1	1	3	-4	0	4	Unstable Mutagen/Mutagenic Agar	The disease starts at level 5, but cures itself over time	Stealth 4
Viral Evolutionary Acceleration	-2	-3	5	3	0	4	Unstable Mutagen/Mutagenic Agar	No effects other than its stats, which are quite useful. You'll typically have at least one of this and Viral Self-Adaptation in your disease.	None
Viral Self-Adaptation	3	5	-3	0	0	4	Unstable Mutagen/Mutagenic Agar	No effects other than its stats, which are quite useful. You'll typically have at least one of this and Viral Evolutionary Acceleration in your disease.	None
Vitiligo	2	0	3	1	0	5	Plasma/Weakened Virus Plasma	Makes the mob lose skin pigmentation.	None
Voice Change	-1	-2	-2	2	2	3	Plasma/Virus Plasma	Changes the voice of the affected mob. Causing confusion in communication. Available in Virus Crates.	Transmission 10, Stage Speed 7, Stealth 3
Vomiting	-2	0	1	2	1	3	Unstable Mutagen/Mutagenic Agar	Forces the affected mob to vomit! Makes the affected mob lose nutrition and heal toxin damage. Vomit can transmit the virus to people stepping on it.	Stage Speed 5, Transmission 6, Stealth 4
Weight Loss	0	2	-2	1	2	3	Unstable Mutagen/Mutagenic Agar	The virus mutates the host's metabolism, making it almost unable to gain nutrition from food.	Stealth 2
Wizarditis	1	-2	-3	-1	0	0	Anomalous Virus Food	The host believes themselves to be a wizard	Transmission 8, Stage Speed 7