Contagionis back in the iTunes Movie Chart top ten, thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier this week, the movie, which was originally released in 2011, found itself in the same company asJoker,Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,Parasite, andHustlers.
When it comes to entertainment, theCoronavirus has destroyed the Hong Kong box office. News of the outbreak spread worldwide and has people interested in rapidly spreading viruses again, which is why a game likePlague Inc. is seeing an unprecedented surge in popularity. The game’s developer has warned players to get their real information about the outbreak from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Contagionsaw a pre-Goop andvagina scented candle-selling Gwyneth Paltrowas a young mother who comes back from a Chinese business trip with a virus. She begins to exhibit flu-like symptoms, but chalks it up to jetlag and then dies 24 hours later, along with her son, who she infected. Somehow, the husband, played by Matt Damon, is immune to the virus and survives, going on to spend the rest of the movie hunting down a vaccine to save humanity.
The coronavirus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China and has at least 4,500 cases confirmed as of this past Tuesday. There have been more than ahundred deaths connected to the virusand the world is on high alert. Cases in Europe and the United States have been confirmed and expanded screenings, along with further testing, are happening to passengers flying in from China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists symptoms as “fever, cough and shortness of breath, with symptoms exhibiting in as few as two days or as many as 14 days after exposure.”
The widespread coronavirus news has led to people using Google to search forContagionplaces for streaming, which then saw the movie rapidly make it up the iTunes movie chart. The 2011 movie went from nowhere in the top 100 to number 13 and then number 10 in a matter of days. People have a curiosity surroundingContagionand its similarities to the coronavirus outbreak. In addition, Wolfgang Petersen’sOutbreakfrom 1995 has also broken into the Top 100 at number 86. It will more than likely rise in the charts in the coming weeks.
The CDC has announced today that the first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus has occurred in the United States. A woman from Illinois traveled to China and passed the virus to her husband. With that being said, the risk of further spreading remains low, according to the CDC. This marks the sixth case confirmed in the United States, though there are dozens who are being treated for similar symptoms that may turn out to be the actual virus. For now, washing your hands and keeping them away from your eyes is a good start. That and staying home to watchContagionand play Plague Inc.The Hollywood Reporterwas the first to reveal theContagionnews.
