When COVID-19 was at its pinnacle last year, internet users discovered a video called Contagian (2011), which was described as a "Deja Vu" of sorts. The movie was about a group of medical specialists who are racing against time to stop an unknown virus from becoming a global epidemic. The movie seemed to be the most relatable thing at the time.
Now, when the world is once again gripped by a virus and Omicron hovers over our heads, netizens have unearthed a 1963 Italian movie poster. Many people have been captivated by the film 'The Omicron Variant.' More than the film itself, the tagline has gotten everyone talking. "The day the Earth was turned into a cemetery," it says.
It's causing a stir on the internet. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma also shared the poster on his Twitter timeline writing, "Believe it or faint ..This film came In 1963 ..Check the tagline." Actor Gautam Rode too shared it. "What are the odds… this movie released in 1963! #OmicronVariant," he wrote.
A tweet by Irish director and writer Becky Cheatle posted on December 1, 2021, is also present on Twitter, where the director clarifies that she has created the viral poster using Photoshop. She also asked people not to take her “joke” seriously.
She took a poster from the Spanish film 'SUCESOS EN LA IV FASE' and added 'The Omicron Variant' instead of the original title.
In terms of the virus, Omicron instances have been discovered in India as well. On Thursday, the Union Health Ministry announced that two instances of Omicron had been discovered in Karnataka.
"Both persons had travelled from South Africa. Their contacts have been identified and are under monitoring," said Balram Bhargava, Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (IMRC).
"All Omicron-related cases have been found to have mild symptoms so far. No severe symptoms have been noticed in Omicron infection in all such cases, both in the country and abroad," the Health Ministry said.
The overall global risk associated with the new Covid version has been determined to be very high, according to the World Health Organization.
