2011 film ‘Contagion’ compared to COVID-19

May 19, 2020 HPSH Plaid Line Leave a comment

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In 2011, the film Contagion was released. The film is about a virus that, started in China, and spread rapidly throughout the world causing people to get sick and die.

This description is eerily close to the current 2020 pandemic that’s caused by COVID-19.

Starting off, both the viruses attack the respiratory system and have extremely close symptoms. According to cdc.gov, the COVID-19 symptoms are: cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and/or new loss of taste or smell.

In the film, Dr. Mears, a doctor from Minnesota, is given the job to investigate the virus but ends up catching the virus. Her symptoms were that she couldn’t breathe very well and had a tight chest. She was coughing a lot and she had fever along with chills. She didn’t go into more depth, but in the film, you can see other people that caught the virus shared the same symptoms and died usually by seizure.

Next, both viruses came from bats. There is no clear answer as to how COVID-19 started, but most scientists say, and believe, it started from a virus that bats carried and then transferred to someone from Wuhan, China. This then developed into something more dangerous that was passed onto other humans.

In the film, a fruit had fallen from a bat’s mouth into a pig pen. The pig then ate the fruit and there, the virus started developing. The pig was then slaughtered and brought to a casino in Hong Kong, China where the cook touched the pig and didn’t stop to wash his hands before holding someone else’s.

The pandemic in the film and in reality both put the whole world in chaos and had extremely close similarities, but there were also things the film did differently. Beth Emhoff, the first case of the virus in the movie, went home to Minnesota and gave her family the virus. Her son passed shortly after she did, but we learned that her husband was immune. Currently there isn’t a known person that’s immune to the Coronavirus.

Also, in the film, people died within a day to 3 days of getting the virus, whereas COVID-19 seems to have a 2 week incubation period. People would get seizures and their mouths would start to foam as they die in the movie, but there hasn’t been any reports of seizures due to COVID-19.

Contagion and COVID-19 are extremely similar, but thankfully it’s not exactly the same. The film had it much worse, but the things leading up to the chaos were eerily close.

Advice/How To, COVID-19

How to keep up with your mental health in quarantine

May 19, 2020 courtney_legomyeggo Leave a comment

I think we all know how difficult the quarantine has gotten, and we need to focus on keeping ourselves in the best state of mind.

Try to stay optimistic and keep looking forward. Dwelling on mistakes clouds the mind. It’s important to stay in the present, and look towards the future instead of the past.

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It’s important to stay relaxed during this time. Avoid stress as much as possible as this can be as damaging to the mind as it is to the body. Most people know stress can cause anxiety which, if severe, can lead to depression.

But, what are some physical symptoms of stress? Mayo Clinic Staff has reported that stress can take a toll on the body just the same as the mind. It can cause eating disorders, muscle pain, body aches, continuous exhaustion, problems sleeping, and stomach pains.

It’s important to loosen up during the day; working can make you tense. While doing homework, or working on something that requires much focus and time, it’s always a good idea to take a break and assess how you’re feeling. Do something to relax yourself, whether it’s watching tv or getting a snack. Take time to get away from the task at hand and ease your mind from the work.

It’s just as important to keep your body fit as it is your mind. Try to devote some time in your weekly schedule to a bit of exercise. According to healthybrains.org it can be great for sleep problems and it’s known to b e a way to give you a boost in your mood.

Not only does exercise help the mind, but it does wonders for your health. Being active lowers your risk for getting heart disease as well as other heart problems. Maintaining your body weight healthily is also a good way to stay fit.

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Though we may need to stay at our homes, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some fresh air. Going into a backyard, on a balcony or porch, or even cracking open a window to feel the breeze are all fresh air options that are quarantine approved. It’s not always fun to stay cramped in a house for so long, a sweet gust of air can bring up your mood, especially during this beautiful spring season.

Any way you may be getting a taste of the outdoors, remember to stay cautious and keep a safe distance.

Tech/Games

Are old video games just as good as new video games?

May 19, 2020 sleepyguy21 Leave a comment

In finding out if old video games are just as good as new video games, we have to cover many video games.

There are many points of view on this topic, and with evidence, this agreement could go either way depending on the game or even the system it is played on.

In what I have seen, I think old video games are just as good as new video games. This revolves around nostalgia; it is a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past. Even though old video games have worse graphics and other flaws, nostalgia fills in those flaws by having good memories about that game.

Also, old video games can be just as good as current games because of the characters, plot, or even they’re just as fun to play. And, according to a non-scientific study, old video games are actually slightly better.

There will always be good and bad video games, and older isn’t really better or worse than current video games.

In the end, it depends on how you determine “better or good.” Do you want better graphics? Do you want an interesting game play? Want tactical combat? These are only some of the things you can base your opinion around.

In my opinion, old video games are just as good as new video games.