While the coronavirus has pretty much diluted life as we know it into a few basic activities each day, a lot of us still don’t really know the intricacies of it. And even though it came as a surprise for most of us, Netflix had actually interviewed a few people who had predicted something like this months before the virus spread.
Netflix has now released the first episode of Coronavirus, Explained, that explains the origins, treatment, and plan of action – all narrated by J.K. Simmons.
It talks about how world leaders had downplayed its importance at the start, leading to a massive spread. Also, estimates show 1.5 million viruses in wildlife we don’t know about, any of which could spread to the human population.
Interestingly, the show features interviews done before coronavirus hit, with people like Bill Gates and other medical experts, who predict this exact situation, and stress the need to be prepared.
It also explains the science behind the virus, such as the fact that when a virus jumps from animal to human, it’s called a zoonotic virus. It also reveals that scientists had actually discovered a bat-coronavirus a few years ago which seemed to be low risk in terms of human infection. However, its genome turned out to be 96% identical to covid-19.
Finally, the episode explains that herd immunity and vaccines will all take time, and the only immediate solution is social distancing.
The show is a good refresher on our current situation, how we got here, and also the history of pandemics. Check it out here.