Contagion

OMG! This movie was so realistic and held so much pertinent information. Given the time line of this scenario, it makes me think there may be an alternative explanation for why it is so hard to find right now.

Contagion starts us out on Day 2 of the epidemic that will soon be known as, the MEV1 virus.

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) is beginning to feel sick on a flight layover in Chicago, while returning home to Minneapolis, from a business trip in Hong Kong. Day 3: introduces us to the Center for Disease Control's Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburn). Allan Krumwiede (Jude Law), is a freelance journalist. Also Beth’s son Clark, and his stepfather Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon). Mitch has been called by the school to take Clark home because he is sick. Day 4: reveals the rapid progression of this virus as it claims the lives of both Beth and her son.

Day 5: indicates the spread of outbreak clusters in Hong Kong, London, Tokyo and the USA. Day 6: brings together Dr. Cheever and World Health Organization Service Officer Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet). Dr. Mears is sent to Minnesota to work with their Department of Health to track and attempt to contain, and isolate cluster victims. By Day 7 the CDC has at least determined the origin and suspected sequence of this unidentified virus. Dr. Cheever orders the halt of all outside research on any existing virus samples. Day 8: W.H.O. sends a specialist Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) to Hong Kong to establish where and how this virus began.

Mitch is immune to the disease and now his priority is to keep his daughter Jory, safe and healthy until a vaccine can be found. This quest may prove to be unattainable as the situation continues to develop and spiral out of control.

Dr. Mears gets sick in Minnesota. Leonora is abducted in Kong Kong. Krumwiede also gets sick and begins to publicly raise accusations against the CDC. Dr. Cheever goes under investigation in Atlanta. At Day 21, there is a new mutation of the disease and it sends the medical community into a panicked rush to develop a distributable vaccine. Finally on Day 133 the CDC holds a drawing to determine who will receive the first inoculations. But, what about all the others who are not drawn? How much longer will they have to wait? What will happen if the vaccine supply runs out?

Surely nothing like this, could ever happen today in our society. Or could it?