What if this isn’t real life? If Cornavirus was a film. If there is a movie theatre packed to the rafters waiting with bated breath to watch the latest disaster movie. Counting their blessings that this could never actually happen to them. They get in line, buy their tickets and load up on overpriced drinks and popcorn. As they get comfy in their recliner seats, they laugh and remember the good old days when there were no recliner seats and they were all packed into rows like sardines playing elbow tennis with a complete stranger.

Could you imagine?

Everyone’s holding their breath as the movie gets going. They have met patient zero and are squirming in their seats as that person goes about their daily lives oblivious until they get sick. And then someone else falls ill and so on and so on. Arms are retracting into their seats as viewers fidget subconsciously removing all bodily contact from others.

But here we are, as the film moves on. More and more people getting sick. Hospitals overflowing as the camera pans from patient to patient. The irony of a soon to be victim watching Contagion on Netflix isn’t lost on the moviegoers. You have no idea what is coming they whisper to no one, in particular, breaking the silence in the packed room. Thy glance around at exactly how many people are in this small room and wonder, just for a brief second what if someone in here is ill and we don’t know.

Because, of course, no one in this film knew, they muse to themselves as they watch the virus taking hold. Watching its journey as it is passed from one person to the nest innocently, silently, randomly. NO ONE KNEW A THING.

As we go out and about or daily business, they know. They are telling us, urging us to stay home, go away don’t hug that old friend you haven’t seen for years. Because they know. They can see it as they sit safe and sound in the packed cinema screening room. Someone in the middle screams ‘NO’ unsettling those around her and increasing the tension. Is it you she is screaming at?

They know the people who are going to work oblivious. The ones who are heeding all advice and despite following all the guidelines still have to leave the house to work because they need to. The girl on the back row, on her first night off in weeks, is watching you head to work and picturing herself in your shoes.

You know, the pair you left at the door when you came home from work yesterday.

That you didn’t clean as did everything else. You stripped, you showered, you put your uniform in the washing machine and you left your shoes there. You touched them to put them back on, then opened the front door, locked it with your keys, walked to the car, drove to work and opened the door to get into work. She imagines how she would feel in your shoes and wonders when the last times she cleaned her shoes was.

Who would you be in the film?

If someone was watching you in this scripted fiction montage dancing across a screen. Who would you want to be?

The cautious person who heeds all advice and stays safe? A boring yet predictable character but ultimately still alive at the end of the film.

The happy go lucky – if I get it, I get it kind of character? Who contracts it due to being not too cautious and wanting that last hoorah with friends and survives after spreading it to 10 more people.

The one who refuses to listen to warnings- who stubbornly believes they have nothing to worry about will be fine – you know the person who is less likely to make it to the end of the film and if they do they have a huge character arc and regret everything they did, said and of course, spread!

What would they say about your character? What impact would you have on those who hand over their hard-earned cash to watch you as a character in a film? Do you want them to care about your survival and be rooting for you? Or will you be the one they don’t care died and agree actually did deserve not making past the opening credits?

Only we’re not in a film. No one is yelling cut and those who have succumbed to this virus aren’t getting out of the body bags as the end of filming. No do-overs, no second chances to get this right. We get this right now or not at all.

Let me tell you if you think this is something that is being over-exaggerated, blown up by the media or misconstrued somehow, just stop and think. Even if you are right (Then you are that overly cocky character who meets an agonising death in the first 30 minutes) is it even worth taking the risk? Surely you have more to lose than just your pride if you’re wrong?