Coffee Shop no. 15 - Just a Thought...

What if allergies were contagious?

That would not be that great..... Mass hysteria ~Environmentalist

They would have to quarantine people with allergies and because some people are born with allergies, more and more people will have to live a separate life because they could catch allergies from people with different allergies. ~ZobyBlueberry

If allergies were contagious, everyone would be required to have and know how to use an epinephrine injection thing (EPI pen). There would be allergy tests for paranoid people. Scientists might even develop an "allergy vaccine"...The worst case would be...where all the people born with allergies are put in concentration camps to die. Government officials would capture all those with allergies and the people with allergies would try to hide it. All the families of the allergic would be paranoid and they would probably put the allergic person in a full-body suit to prevent contamination...All the people would be happy when the allergic people were gone. Another friendlier strategy would be to try and get rid of all allergens...Either way it would cause global panic and everyone would be scared of getting allergies. The allergic would be paranoid of getting "discovered". Friends and families would be split all because of allergies. If allergies BECAME contagious (they weren't before) then the results would be catastrophic. ~Morangue Pine

I agree, mostly, with what you all say, given that allergies suddenly became contagious for no apparent reason. If this were to be true and allergies were as contagious as the common cold (that is simply being with someone who has means you could get it), then people trying to isolate those with allergies and hide from them would be useless. It would be impossible to completely separate those with allergies from those without. Also, getting rid of the allergens would be impossible. What about pollen in the air?

If allergies became something that was only contagious through, say, blood or something and could not be transmitted only by being near the person (in other words, it's "hard" to get infected), then "catching" an allergy could be prevented quite well. There would be no need to separate the population or anything. If all goes perfectly, then all those with allergies, after two centuries or so, would be gone and we'd have an allergy-free world.

Now, if allergies were contagious as a "given" thing, (meaning its been that way since the start) people would probably be immune to it by now or at least have ways to greatly reduce the severity of "catching" an allergy. For example, the common cold can now be treated quite well. ~Pomomarine

I agree with your views that even if they were contagious , we would develop immunity or would adapt to them over the course [of] evolution. ~Environmentalist

~Morangue Pine