“Contagion” Embodies Spread of Corona the World Is Experiencing, Op-ed

BY: Mohamed  Sakr

Although Contagion film was shown in 2011, it translates what the world is experiencing with the spread of corona virus.

Coinciding with the increasing the Corona global epidemic spread , Arab and foreign channels recently intensified the presentation of the most famous "epidemic films" and "disaster films" in the Hollywood history.

Most of these films predicted the emerging virus as a kind of theorization of the world end idea.

The scenario of these films is identical to the current scenario that the world is trying to develop in order to contain the deadly virus crisis.

As we live through a developing pandemic, some people compare it with the 2011 American thriller which some claim predicted Covid-19: The "Contagion"

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Z. Burns, the film-Contagion- follows the spread of a virus transmitted when sick humans touch surfaces and leave virus behind that others can catch.

Next comes the frantic attempts by public health officials to identify and contain the disease, the anarchy that unfolds amid a pandemic, and the ultimate introduction of a vaccine to stop the spread. Sound like a plot we're in the middle of?

Its prescience was bolstered by Burns consulting with representatives of the World Health Organization on the ins and outs of infectious diseases, and by Kate Winslet working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This was done in order to understand the lifestyle and character of an epidemiologist charged with leading the world through crisis.

The filmmakers also consulted medical experts including Dr. W. Ian Lipkin and Lawrence "Larry" Brilliant. Lipkin is the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Health. He recently contracted the novel coronavirus.

The final scene in "Contagion" reveals that the fictional "MEV-1" virus originated from a pig that ate a piece of banana dropped by an infected bat escaping the destruction of its palm tree forest habitat in China.

The pig was then slaughtered and prepared by a chef, who without washing them first, shakes hands with Beth Emhoff (played by Gwyneth Paltrow), thus transmitting the virus to her.

Noteworthy, Contagion premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in Venice, Italy on September 3, 2011, and was theatrically released on September 9, 2011. Commercially, the film made $136.5 million against its $60 million production budget.

It was praised by critics for its narrative and the performances. It was also well received by scientists, who lauded its accuracy. The film has received renewed popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.