T- Respiratory, or T- Pulmonary, (T-VxR, Tyrant Virus Respiratory Strain)
the infection is spread from person to person via airborne particles and bodily fluids, such as saliva or mucus.
the base virus, the T-virus (Tyrant virus), was developed by Umbrella and purchased by GenoStart via Black Market dealers. they altered the T-virus to create the respiratory variant (T-VxR.)
unlike Umbrella, GenoStart did not endeavor to create enhanced human beings or super soldiers. GenoStartβs motivation was medical profiteering. they intended to create a highly contagious, highly deadly respiratory infection, develop a treatment for it, and then patent said treatment for profit. as a company focused on genetic therapy research, they were particularly interested in the way Umbrellaβs t-virus damaged and mutated dna. if GenoStart could alter the cells of a personβs lungs using the t-virus as a base, they could, in theory, make the victims permanently dependent on their treatment. they would have millions of lifelong customers.
The progression of the infection:
T-VxR caused mild flu-like symptoms during early infection, including fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, cough, and fatigue.
later infection led to more serious symptoms such as high fever, productive cough, shortness of breath, severe bronchospasm, hypoxia, and death by rapid asphyxiation due to airway collapse.
when tested on Valea Inflorita, the T-VxR killed nearly every villager it infected. the only survivor was a young girl, indra stelegarde, aged 10, though she was left with permanent lung damage. she was tracked for two years before she was eventually acquired by GenoStart for the purpose of collecting data. she was considered βcompany property.β
indraβs chronic lung damage would likely be diagnosed as post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (pibo) or post-infectious bronchiectasis. this is responsible for the obstructive pattern of indraβs respiratory symptoms.
the lung damage caused by T-VxR led to a combination of obstructive and restrictive characteristics.
fibrosis in the bronchioles caused them to become permanently narrowed.
alveoli were destroyed; some collapsed into stiff, fibrotic tissue, and others lost their elasticity and became irreversibly stretched and weakened. this causes mucus to pool within them.
much of the cilia was eradicated, making it difficult to trap airborne debris and move mucus from the smaller airways into larger ones for clearing, leading to increased risk of respiratory infection.
one oddity directly linked to the t-virus' necrotic nature is the production of dark, metallic tasting mucus due to cellular destruction. this dark mucus can vary from thin and diluted to thick and incredibly dark, almost like clots of old blood. thinner mucus is easier to clear. indra may struggle to clear the thicker, darker mucus. where it ends up on the spectrum is largely determined by hydration
imaging will show patches of βcobblestoneβ patterns on the lungs due to the highly dense, calcified tissue of micro-nodules that formed during infection. this was caused by the immune system attempting to isolate material it considered βforeign.β the βforeignβ material is cell debris left behind by lung tissue that was damaged and became necrotic. due to damage from the t-virus, the cellular debris could not be destroyed or digested by macrophages, and was instead encapsulated, creating patches of dense, fibrotic tissueβthese patches of rigid fibrosis reduced the overall elasticity and efficiency of indraβs lungs.
Functionality and Implications in Daily Life
unless compromised by respiratory infection or exposed to respiratory irritants, indra remains functional in a limited capacity. there are extra precautions she must take to avoid pulmonary irritation, but she has dealt with the lung damage long enough to have incorporated those precautions into daily habits.
due to compromised cilia, indraβs lungs have difficulty clearing mucus and airborne debris, such as dust or pollen. compounding this, the stretched alveoli essentially become pools for secretions to stagnate.
in the mornings, after laying flat and becoming dehydrated as fluid levels naturally decrease throughout the night, indra often awakes wheezing, an audible crackling of fluid in her chest. the first fifteen to twenty minutes of her day are focused on clearing her lungs. most mornings, the secretions are thin enough that indra can clear it without too much difficulty. on occasion, however, usually due to dehydration, the mucus is thicker and more difficult to move. her coughing would not be efficient enough to expel it independently.
on days when the secretions are too thick to clear without help, indra uses steam to help thin it out. she'll turn the shower on and let the steam fill the bathroom. She also uses a nebulizer with a combination of albuterol, a medication to open her airways, and saline, which supplies the moisture needed to thin the mucus further.
once the initial blockage is clear, indra typically feels better, breathing becomes easier, and she resumes daily routines.
when exposed to allergens such as pollen, dust, animal dander, or other airborne irritants, or when physically compromised by exertion or respiratory infection, indra is prone to flare -ups similar to asthma attacks. her chest begins to feel tight, heavy, her breathing becomes shallow, like she cannot take a full, deep breath, she develops a more pronounced wheeze, she feels short of breath, her lungs eventually start to spasm, and the coughing begins. although the cough typically sounds wet due to fluid pooled in her airways, it isnβt always productive. a rescue inhaler is often enough to tame mild flare-ups, but more significant ones will require a nebulizer.
while the damage to indraβs lungs gives her an abnormal baseline, it is not to the extent of incapacitation. she remains functional throughout daily tasks. her combat style reflects the limitations she must operate within. she prioritizes stealth and social maneuvering to achieve her desired outcome, i.e. manipulation, bribery, blackmail, etc. she is optimized for combat in short bursts, but will tire quickly due to reduced gas exchange in her lungs being unable to supply her body with the oxygen necessary to continue without fatiguing.
