'Contagion' stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and others reunite for coronavirus PSA

The stars of Steven Soderberg's 2011 medical thriller "Contagion" -- Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishburne, and Jennifer Ehle -- have reunited for a series of videos to spread awareness about the ways to deal with coronavirus. The film chronicled how humanity battles the spread of a virus transmitted by fomites as medical researchers and public health officials try to contain the disease.

It has become relevant after the outbreak of novel coronavirus or COVID-19, which originated in China and has claimed the lives of over 27,000 people globally. The four actors made public service announcement (PSA) videos in partnership with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, explaining how people can protect themselves and those around them.

Damon, who played a father trying to protect his daughter after he loses his wife and step-son to the mysterious virus, said unlike in the movie where he was immune to the disease, he susceptible to COVID-19 in real life. "That was a movie, this is real life. I have no reason to believe I'm immune to COVID-19, and, neither do you, no matter how young you are. This is a new virus and it's going to take some time for our bodies and our doctors to understand it and to understand the best way to protect us," the actor, adding that people must practice social distancing.

Winslet, who featured as an epidemiologist in the movie, talked about the importance of washing hands and how can it save the lives of the people. "What was one of the most important things they taught me? Wash your hands as your life depends on it, because, right now, in particular, it just might," the Oscar winner said. Fishburne, who essayed the role of a doctor working at the Center for Disease Control (CDC), urged people to avoid physical contact.

"There's a scene in the movie 'Contagion' about the tradition of hand-shaking. You extended your hand and showed the person you were meeting that you didn't have a weapon, that you weren't carrying one. "Now, the way we're living is like we're all carrying a weapon and we don't even know it. What we do know is that the virus travels through human contact. It needs us to survive, so, let's not give it any help," he said. Ehle said people must only listen to what doctors and scientists are saying.

"They are the experts. That means tuning out the voices with other agendas no matter how powerful they might be," she said. According to Entertainment Weekly, the videos were written by the film's screenwriter, Scott Z Burns, under the guidance and with the input of the same medical experts who worked in the movie.

All the actors shot the videos themselves, barring Winslet who took help from her husband.

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