Contagion – and propaganda

Contagions

Firstly, I am sharing a piece of propaganda sent to me by a girlfriend in Dubai that is currently doing the rounds in the Middle East. It adheres to sound medical advice but I think it will make you smile … or get angry, considering the lack of international alerts communicated by the Chinese government when COVID-19 first struck.

Next comes some on-theme fiction. I am not going to encourage any of Henry’s readers to download the Soderbergh film ‘Contagion’ (2011). I saw it on first release in Sydney. It was terrifying, so it would be even more so in this period of COVID-19. However, as it is presently one of the most downloaded films on the planet and, according to experts, the principles and procedures it presents are fairly spot on with regards to how governments, health departments and the World Health Organisation manage epidemics, it is worth a mention.

Second pandemic movie off the rank is 'World War Z' (2013). This one stars Brad Pitt and is about a disease first experienced in South Korea, where a ‘rabies-like’ virus is annihilating the country. Yep. It is a seriously fab Zombie movie that also adheres to fairly spot-on medical principles and procedures in its blood-soaked Zombie script.

Point-of-interest in 'World War Z' is that North Korea has almost zero contagion rate because the government removed its population’s teeth. Those totalitarian governments really have a head start on the rest of us when it comes to containing a pandemic.

PS All the movies have happy endings.

Take good care.

#FionaPrior