Contagion Film: Comparing the Outbreak of Coronavirus to the MEV-1 Virus - Essay Example

Information about the Film

I viewed the Contagion film that talks about the spread of a deadly MEV-1 virus. I selected this film since I have heard people discussing its similarities with Covid-19. Social media users and mainstream media outlets have been comparing the outbreak of coronavirus to the MEV-1 virus in Contagion film. Therefore, I wanted to know how the filmmakers accurately predicted the spread of a deadly virus in the world. The topic of spreading a deadly virus is currently important as the world continues facing coronavirus. The movie provides insights into how people should protect themselves from a virus by staying indoors and maintaining high levels of personal hygiene.

Reflections on the Film

Contagion has many realistic scenes of real science and things that can happen in real-time situations. Firstly, the MEV-1 virus is transmitted from a bat, to a pig then to a human being. This is the real way of how viruses spread from animals to human beings. For the case of coronavirus, it spreads from animals that people interacted with in Wuhan, China. Secondly, viruses spread from one person to another through physical contact. Beth Emhoff was the first person who contracted the virus during her business trip to Hong Kong. She had interacted with a chef in Hong Kong who had come into contact with pigs. Beth spread the virus to her son, and due to the severity of the infections, the two died. Beth’s husband, Mitch, is naturally immune to the virus and is determined to protect her daughter, Jory. It is realistic for an individual to be immune to infection, depending on the body's immune system.

Regarding the search for a vaccine, the film portrays how researchers strive to find a cure in real-life. Dr. Hextall determined that the virus had a genetic material of both pigs and bats. However, the research stalled due to the lack of a cell culture to test the growth of an MEV-1. For scientists to develop a cure, they must examine the reservoir hosts like in the case of Hendra virus in Australia (Quammen, 2000). Luckily, Dr. Sussman managed to identify an MEV-1 cell from bat cells, which helped to develop a vaccine. Dr. Hextall inoculated herself with the vaccine as a clinical trial of its effectiveness. Patient trials of a vaccine are realistic as scientists strive to find a cure.

Epidemiologic Concepts

The transmission of the MEV-1 virus in the film depicts how viruses spread from reservoir hosts to human beings. Through human activities in Hong Kong, the bat's habitats were destroyed hence forcing them to relocate. The bats migrated to a pig shed where the pigs were infected. Naturally, bats host a lot of viruses that are harmless to them. They act as a reservoir host of the virus, which becomes deadly when it infects human beings. The pigs played the role of an amplifier where the virus replicates and spreads to human beings. When the chef in Hong Kong contracted the virus, he infected many people, including Beth. Since the virus spreads quickly through droplets, there was a global pandemic.

The MEV-1 virus also spreads through touching surfaces that were contaminated. When people touched the surfaces and later touched their nose, mouth, or eyes, they contracted the virus. As a result, there was a zoonotic spillover in the world due to the ease of transmission of infections. Additionally, the R-naught (RO) of the virus was 4. RO is the incidence rate of spreading the virus from one individual to another (Friis, 2017). Most viruses spread quickly from one person to another by having physical interactions.

One of the ethical points that can be replicated in real life is the inoculation of Dr. Hextall. When the first vaccine was developed, Hextall decided to try it on herself. It is ethical to make clinical trials on individuals who have consented to the tests. As a professional, Hextall acted ethically by testing the vaccine on herself instead of trying it on other people. The arrest of blogger Alan Krumwiede was also ethical due to his claims of having found a virus. Krumwiede had fooled a lot of people who had believed that his claims were true. His arrest created order in the country and certainty about the status of having an MEV-1 virus vaccine.

More Information and Reactions on the Topic

I talked to a friend who is a nurse at one of the hospitals in the country. She is well-versed in how Covid-19 emerged and the steps made in finding a vaccine for the disease. During this period of coronavirus, she has been busy with other medical practitioners attending to patients. Besides, she a movie enthusiast who likes to watch documentaries that portray real-life situations. She commented that Contagion was a well-produced movie that captured real science. The consultations that the filmmakers had with experts from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) enabled Contagion to capture the reality of zoonotic spillovers. Contagion is a replica of how coronavirus spread from China to other parts of the world. She said that a virus is always deadly due to the ease of transmission and effects on human life.

From the discussions we had, I learned that human activities instigate the spread of viruses. In Contagion film, the destruction of bushes in Hong Kong displaced the bats leading to the spread of the virus to pigs. For coronavirus, interactions of people with animals in Wuhan exposed them to the risk of contracting Covid-19. Therefore, people should learn not to interfere with natural ecosystems that harbor most of the animals carrying viruses. I also learned that personal discipline can influence the safety of individuals from viruses. Washing hands, wearing masks, staying indoors, and healthy eating are ways that people should practice to protect themselves from viruses. The government should also create quarantine centers and enforce movement restrictions at an early stage. She explained that these are some of the safety measures that helped Wuhan contain the virus within three months.