Haven't had a problem with loot spawning; I looted most of Berezino just fine. However I experienced frozen zombies for the first time: the whole town was full of zeds standing/crouching/lying still. I did cause my own zombie spawns that acted normally, aggroed etc.
Killed my first bandit at the NW airfield by a chance of luck (he was on top of me right as I logged in, luckily he had a pistol drawn and I had a rifle), now am at 5k blood. Is there any possible chance of assistance for a rookie?