Last year when COVID-19 was at its peak, netizens discovered a film named Contagian (2011), which was said to be a 'Deja Vu' of sorts. The film was about a group of medical experts racing against time as they fight against an unknown virus that ignites a global pandemic. The film came across as the most relatable thing at that moment. Now, as the world is again in the grip of a virus and Omicron looms over our heads, netizens have dug out an Italian film poster from 1963. The film titled, "The Omicron Variant" has intrigued many. More than the film, its tagline has got everybody talking about it. It reads, "The day the Earth was turned into cemetery".
Netizens are freaking out over it. 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.
Some also tried to debunk the myths. While there is no authenticity to these posters, netizens claim that "The Omicron Variant" is apparently a sci-fi film. According to IMDb, the film was released in 1963 and is about an alien that takes over the body of an Earthman in order to learn about the planet so his race can take it over. Directed by Ugo Gregoretti, the film stars Renato Salvatori, Rosemary Dexter and Franco Luzzi.
Talking about the virus, Omicron cases have been detected in India too. The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that two cases of Omicron have been detected 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.
According to the World Health Organization, the overall global risk related to the new Covid variant has been assessed to be very high.