Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has aligned the stars of the 2011 pandemic movie Contagion to help illuminate people on how to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of public service announcements.



You’ve seen it everywhere, but there’s a reason. Contagion star Matt Damon explains why #SocialDistancing is the most critical thing you can do right now. Then head to https://t.co/sUXphD602y to find out more. #ControlTheContagion #publichealth #ColumbiaSPH pic.twitter.com/3pHHbdfuOc — ColumbiaPublicHealth (@ColumbiaMSPH) March 27, 2020



Wash your hands like your life depends on it, because right now it does. Kate Winslet explains how to help #ControlTheContagion. For more on this @ColumbiaMSPH campaign with Contagion stars, visit: https://t.co/ysu1tXgGLr pic.twitter.com/9rUEyVO3lx — Columbia University (@Columbia) March 27, 2020

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The PSAs kicked off Friday with one from Matt Damon, who played everyman Mitch Emhoff in the Steven Soderbergh-directed thriller. "In the movie, I played a guy who was immune to the hypothetical virus that was spreading around the world. So, a few things to start. One, that was a movie, this is real life," Damon said in the PSA, which you can view below. "I have no reason to believe I'm immune to COVID-19. And neither do you, no matter how young you are."Kate Winslet, who played CDC epidemiologist Dr. Erin Mears in Contagion, recalled the lessons she learned from the public health experts she met with doing research for the role and also instructed viewers on the proper ways to wash their hands and disinfect surfaces:Cast members Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, and Jennifer Ehle also recorded COVID-19 PSAs, which you can view at Mailman's YouTube channel's Control the Contagion playlist Also be sure to check out our guide on how to stay safe, and help out , during the pandemic.And if you're looking to stream Contagion while you're self-isolating at home, well, you can't. Right now the movie isn't streaming anywhere, which, as The Verge reports, has led to a spike in iTunes rentals and torrent downloads