THE current situation brought about by COVID-19 calls to mind famous movies about epidemics and pandemics.

One of these films is “Outbreak” (1995), directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman.

The film talked about an epidemic that started in the African rain forest when a deadly virus, carried by a monkey host, starts infecting the entire population.

Of more recent vintage is “Contagion,” which starred awardwinning actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

In this 2011 medical drama, people are caught in the midst of a pandemic as scientists work double time to find a cure.

Sounds familiar, no?

“Contagion” is about a woman who returns from a business trip to Hong Kong with a stopover at the Chicago airport, where she has sex with a former lover.

She falls ill, but shrugs it off, thinking it’s only jet lag. She travels back home to Minneapolis and spreads the virus to her son and her husband.

Woman and son die. Husband is placed under quarantine.

Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.