Insight on Epidemiology in regards to "Contagion"

As an undergraduate Health Science major at James Madison University, I am taking an Epidemiology class.  Going into class I was not sure what to expect.   I only knew epidemiology was a field of science that had to do with the study of diseases, but not much more about the subject.  Only a week into the semester and reading about Epidemiology and I am eager and excited to expand my knowledge and learn more about this subject in the next 15 weeks or so! 

Our first week of class was spent watching the movie “Contagion” about the rapid spread of a deadly infection and how the professional world and health communities dealt with finding a cure.  I had never seen this film, but found it to be very eye opening. To begin, in the film a good deal of time was spent talking about fomites.  I had never heard this term before and found it very interesting to learn that fomites are inanimate objects that can carry a disease-causing organism on them (doorknob, elevator buttons, bathroom stalls, etc.) and it emphasized how often we come into contact with such objects on a daily basis.  This alone made me much more aware of my surroundings and everything I touch! I was also intrigued by how the movie portrayed the public’s reaction to such an epidemic.  It was a very plausible account in my opinion.  It showed people acting out in violence; robbing houses, pharmacies, and grocery stores.  If something like this were to happen in the US or anywhere for that matter, people would panic and violence would occur without a doubt. 

In the film there is also a clear distinction between social classes and socioeconomic status.  In my Community Health class, one of the main themes we considered was “health equals wealth”; those who make less money and can afford less, usually have higher stress levels and more health problems.  This was seen in the movie, which showed a scene where Dr. Ellis Cheever (an upper class worker for the Center for Disease Control- CDC) calls his wife to leave Chicago because of an outbreak there.  A janitor over hears the conversation and points out to Cheever that he has a family he cares about too.  Later in the movie when they have found a vaccine for the virus, Cheever heroically gives his vaccine to the janitor’s son.  This to me was a touching scene and showed Cheever to be selfless, when in most of the movie he only seemed to be interested in keeping his own co-workers and family safe.  From a critical standpoint, however, I do not know the likelihood of an event like that happening in the real world.  I would think most people would probably take care of themselves and their families first with vaccines and immunizations.

Overall, the movie was very informative and realistic.  It helped me gain a better understanding of how fast disease can spread and the steps that are taken when a new virus or disease does occur.