From literature and films, what did you expect and what did you not expect about a pandemic?

[KindergartenKop]

I'm quite a fan of apocalyptic books. There are a few things about the current pandemic which appear as tropes in this genre. For example, there are still buses with posters on advertising films released in March!

On the other hand, the books and films never warned me about the government floundering though this situation. In the books it all happens much more quickly and the government are usually all gone by week 3 (I get that in reality that would be a very bad thing though!)

What did you expect?

[MutteringDarkly]

The total lack of "ability to fly a plane in a crisis" - the non-pilots always need to do that in films, but it turns out in a real emergency nobody's leaving the ground.

Similar I suppose - access to petrol not being a big deal (no queues, no looting etc) because nobody's going anywhere.

"Everyone sits very very still" wouldn't make for the most gripping film

[ipswichwitch]

I imagined more siphoning of fuel and maybe the opportunity to drive on the wrong side of a motorway. A little more starvation too if I am honest. Instead the car insurance is offering us refunds and the weight has piled on due to less incidental movement and more netflix.

I’m much the same TW2013. I was on the A1 yesterday when the warning signs came on and told us to slow to 20mph as there was an oncoming vehicle on our side of the motorway. It was a bit exciting, but then the police mush have efficiently diverted them off since we never saw them. That’s as close as I’ve been to a bit of driving the wrong way on the motorway!

[nosswith]

Literature and films really did not enter my mind when the pandemic began and as the genre of films I tend to watch does not cover this, probably could not have done.

If Boris Johnson's government had gone by week three, it would have been the best thing about the pandemic.

[DilysPrice]

Contagion was pretty much spot on, especially the conspiracy theorist played by Jude Law, but significantly overplayed the rioting and looting.

[crankysaurus]

More boredom, less retreating to the Isle of Wight

[baller20]

Did not expect to be home schooling, thought I would be fleeing with the kids or fighting for survival.

[BrieAndChilli]

If this was a film

• death rate would be much higher and death would be much quicker eg get symptoms, die a day later as opposed to maybe get some symptoms and then possibly maybe die in a month.
  
• shops would remain completely empty and ransacked, no redeliveries or orderly queueing
  
• your own home wouldn’t be safe so you would have to wander endlessly trying to find the secret bunker/magically safe village in a pretty valley or the band of survivors holed up in a hospital or prison or high school.
  
• everyone else would be out to kill you.
  

What strikes me is how normal everything is most of the time until you suddenly remember everyone is wearing masks etc

Films are heavily edited and condensed down to only show the highly exciting bits. We are probably currently still in the bit where people are getting some symptoms but no-one realised how serious it is. There’s probably some scientist/pharmaceutical person who got out of the business either due to personal tragedy or professional disagreement currently trying to get past security either at some lab or government insititution because they are the only one who can see the truth about the virus.

[chomalungma]

It was supposed to have been over by now.
The military would have done something and probably trying to cover things up.
We need some maverick scientist to get the vaccine out now - which they probably already have.

Basically based on Outbreak

[GingerScallop]

The total lack of a buffed, "good looking" white male to save us all. Complete with a slim white woman who he keeps saving because she is not quite self-sufficient even if she is a fantastic epidemiologist or computer wizz. This thing should have been over in 7 days tops.
Oh well

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Even living on an Army camp it was somewhat dull.
Less people around as loads of non essential staff were sent home, and less training courses happening.
The sudden influx of white vans (aka mobile testing centres) which then dispersed as they went... Well mobile.
The orange tape wrapped around the exercise equipment that no one ever used so that no one used it.

It's now pretty much back to normal though. Just one way systems and sinks outside buildings. And we know leave again, since I take the kids to school.


Before this I have expected they would lock the gate and not let us out at all, with food parcels being delivered weekly.

[Destinysdaughter]

Actually watching the footage from Wuhan was much more like an apocalyptic movie. The pp getting dragged into vans, apartment blocks being sealed up, the completely deserted streets, men in hazmat suits walking down the street in lines disinfecting whole area, piles of bodybags in vans, it was pretty terrifying to watch!

[StanfordPines]

I think in the early days people on here were expecting some of the filmic behaviour.
I remember when London had it very badly and it was suggested that London should be quarantined. When it was asked how that was possible some people said that the army would be called in and shoot anyone trying to leave. This was met with agreement and nods.

[Echobelly]

Good thread. I had worried a bit about a pandemic happening but weirdly it had never crossed my mind about staying home and things closing. I suppose I'd assumed life would just have to carry on somehow!

I think yes, I'd assumed symptoms would be obvious and scary and we'd be worrying about death and it would be something with really high death rates, not worrying about 'will I give it to my mum' and 'are people going to start hoarding shit again'

I should admit my naivety that I don't think I imagined the government being so utterly unprepared, given they were supposed to have plans for this kind of thing.

[ThePlantsitter]

There isn't as much 'Covid-19 is God's punishment' grafitti as movies led me to expect there would be.

[CeramicGuineaPig]

There’s probably some scientist/pharmaceutical person who got out of the business either due to personal tragedy or professional disagreement currently trying to get past security either at some lab or government insititution because they are the only one who can see the truth about the virus.
Has anyone asked Jeff Goldblum what we should be doing? He probably knows.
@JesusintheCabbageVan - I enjoyed The Mandibles but there is a lot of economic exposition disguised as dinner party conversation - I did not understand at all what had caused the economic collapse so decided to just accept it and move on to the apocalypse. As i would do in real life probably.

[Faircastle]

death would be much quicker eg get symptoms, die a day later
That is often the pattern for viruses in fictional pandemics: a very short incubation period; nearly everyone develops noticeable symptoms; it causes death within a couple of days if not hours.

In reality, a virus like that would be easier to contain than this one.

[chomalungma]

During most pandemics, the stock market should crash.
Well, it did crash but then recovered a lot.

No run on the banks.
Increased house prices.
There's not much economics in apocalyptic movies.

[lljkk]

DS is in the Army. Most of the enlisted soldiers were sent home on full pay(!!) His mate signed up for guard duty at Buck'm palace which is as exciting as it gets for enlisted British soldiers in 2020. Overseas trips to Canada, Serbia: all cancelled.

I haven't seen Contagion. The plot summary on Wikipedia doesn't sound remotely like 2020 or covid.

Arrival is the film most like how nowadays feels.
I guess Foot & Mouth crisis 2001 is the most similar recent experience.

[HelloMissus]

Well I for one would expect everyone to be feral by now. Tom Hardy would have at least found a gun by now and brought me to safety.

[UselessTrees]

@ThePlantsitter

There isn't as much 'Covid-19 is God's punishment' grafitti as movies led me to expect there would be.

Now I'm tempted to go and daub this on the nearest concrete underpass.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

@Faircastle

death would be much quicker eg get symptoms, die a day later
That is often the pattern for viruses in fictional pandemics: a very short incubation period; nearly everyone develops noticeable symptoms; it causes death within a couple of days if not hours.

In reality, a virus like that would be easier to contain than this one.

Dh teaches an epidemiology module and when I told him about Station Eleven he pointed out that no epidemic in history has ever looked like that one because it would burn itself out in no time rather than spreading.

One thing she did get right- the desire to watch Shakespeare. She was just wrong about it being travelling players rather than the RSC in the BBC iplayer Culture in Quarantine season.

[thingsarelookingup]

They could have quarantined London, they've quarantined Melbourne for weeks now. That's the most movie like part of my time in the pandemic, my friend in Melbourne loaded up the car and family the night it was announced that Melbourne would be cut off from the rest of Victoria and went to stay with her parents outside Melbourne. Other than that it's just been one long tedious stretch.

[Violetparis]

I didn't expect a young, working class footballer to be a hero in the pandemic. Hope he's not going to be the only one.

[baller20]

I remember when London had it very badly and it was suggested that London should be quarantined. When it was asked how that was possible some people said that the army would be called in and shoot anyone trying to leave. This was met with agreement and nods.

🤣 Some of these posters must have been so disappointed!

[Whatyoucanandcantdo]

Station Eleven was brilliant, bit too sobering for the current times though