Why the Movie Contagion is Terrifying!

When I heard the movie, Contagion released in 2011, starring Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Gwenyth Paltrow, had reemerged as a popular film, I shrugged. I didn’t want to watch a sensationalized version of coronavirus that would freak me out.

From Wikipedia Commons

Then a week passed.

The outbreak of coronavirus statistics shot up like a vampire from a coffin.

A State of Emergency was followed by a National State of Emergency. I avoided grocery stores like the plague, no pun intended. All ski resorts in Colorado were shut down last Sunday. Good thing I listened to my gut and didn’t drive to the mountains!

Irony

Breckenridge has always been the location of my family’s plan of emergency. Head to Breck! Meet us in the mountains! Not anymore. Eagle county, which includes Vail, is the hotbed for the virus in Colorado.

Then another week passed. 

Now shit is getting very real.

Colorado has pretty much shut down. Retail, restaurants, theaters, you name it. People are not supposed to gather. Updates are constant and so is the clear and present danger of over-filled hospitals. Most of the infected people won’t die, but it’s a nasty bug that requires hospitalization for around 20% of those who come down with the virus. Yikes! It is so surreal.

So, of course, I watched the film Contagion made popular once again because of the similarities to coronavirus. Why not scare the bejesus out of my already alarmed self?

What are the differences?

In Contagion, one out of four people died within twenty-four hours of contracting the virus. That’s the premise of the movie, so I’m not ruining it for you.

Coronavirus isn’t even remotely close to that number. Whew! Our leaders’ fears about coronavirus regard the lack of respirators in overfilled hospitals where some patients may be turned away. Our hospital beds are already filled with the usual cases of flu, heart attacks, accidents, etc.

In Contagion, the US response was quick and the death toll was staggering. Here in reality, we have known about the virus since late December. Our response began in March. Leaders were comparing it to a cold in the beginning of March.

There hasn’t been anyone with false information trying to make money on the epidemic. Thank God for that.

The similarities to the movie?

The grim reality of empty shelves in grocery stores and consumers because of stockpiling. I’ve heard of first-hand experiences where customers fought over toilet paper and hand sanitizer. People are nuts. Hoarding causes the spread of the disease here in real life when people who have to be around others can’t pull sanitizer out of their pockets to keep their hands clean. I wanted to bake bread and needed flour. The stores were cleaned out. So stupid. There will never be any shortage of flour in the United States. Grain is a prolific crop here. Sheesh! What’s next?

Why people are stockpiling water is beyond me.

The movie demonstrated how easily germs are spread. Oh, man! And with the power of security cameras, could see it move from one person to the next.

The desperation of people is justified when lives are at risk. How far would you go to save yourself, a child, or a family member?

The scariest similarity? Dr. Sanjay Gupta who has been appearing on TV stations to give his professional opinion about coronavirus was the SPOKESPERSON IN THE MOVIE!!! Talk about foreshadowing…

SPOILER ALERT!

When a vaccine is finally ready for public distribution, I wonder if there will be a lottery for it similar to the movie? That seems so unbelievable and yet, as of today, New York and several other states along with Colorado have shut down nearly all businesses. There is a curfew in place in New York. Although officials are still encouraging people to go outdoors and get fresh air by taking a walk in parks, I wonder when we will be told to stay inside. So much is rolling out just like the film.

IT IS ONCE AGAIN SAFE TO READ. 

I really enjoyed the movie. It was full of twists, turns, and terror. I watched the film a week ago and can’t imagine what might be next for us.

My friend, Annagiulia said that her family in Rome lives in an apartment. They opened up the windows for fresh air and sang with their neighbors. How cool is that?

Regardless of what happens, attitude is everything!

Limit contact with people, no matter where you live, PLEASE.

Keep busy and don’t forget to exercise.

Keep calm.

Don’t panic. If you’re already super stressed out, don’t watch the movie.

Sing instead!

I had a nightmare. I pulled my kids out of a camp in Wisconsin and worried the virus had spread to packed hotels. I didn’t know where to go.

Ideas for a new book are forming in my head. I’m sure thousands of other writers are starting to write them too. Who would think a movie like Contagion would be ripped from our headlines here in the US?

Here is the two-minute trailer for the movie.

Am I adding to the panic by promoting the movie?

I think there’s a vast number of people who believe shutting everything down is an overreaction. Young people don’t think they can catch it even though according to Governor Cuomo of New York, 50% of those who contract coronavirus are between the ages of 20-44 years old. We need to drastically limit contact with others to slow the epidemic.

This surreal situation, usually read in procedural thrillers, is turning reality on its head.

Stay home, stop the spread. Read books! Read blog posts! Plan for your next vacation! Get outdoors and walk!

Or ski solo!

Anyone up for watching Outbreak?

Here is a goofy post about “my tattoos” to make you smile.

What are your thoughts? Will you watch the movie? Are you avoiding the news? Are you glued to it like me? Are you binge-watching Netflix? Any new series you would recommend? Can you tell I haven’t been out with people other than Danny for over a week?

Join the Wild Riders!