Predictions in Contagion Movie About Coronavirus are Coming True After 9 Years. This movie, which had a budget of $35M, made $160M, which was a success at the box office. Many are working this way, and things are coming true and sound even after 11 years.
The film also shows officials responding to the outbreak by prioritizing economic concerns over public well-being and deciding to keep the disease secret. This is similar to how the Chinese government initially denied knowledge of the coronavirus in its early stages.
Also similar is how the MEV-1 virus in the film is shown to have originated in China, where COVID-19 was also first identified.
As things stand, over 86,000 people have been infected with coronavirus, with more than 3,000 deaths. In the UK, 36 cases have been confirmed.
Speaking back in 2011 after Contagion was released, a leading scientist who advised the film said that it may not be far from reality.
“Scientists have been accused of overreacting and crying wolf over the threat of virus outbreaks after the influenza pandemic 2009,” Dr Ian Lipkin said.
“Sars [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] didn’t progress beyond a few locations, but outbreaks and pandemics will occur, and we need to get our heads out of the sand and realize the real risks that we face. More than three-quarters of all emerging infectious diseases originate when microbes jump from wildlife to humans.
“Our vulnerability to such diseases has been heightened by the growth in international travel and the globalization of food production. In addition, deforestation and urbanization continue to displace wildlife, increasing the probability that wild creatures will come into contact with domesticated animals and humans.”
