Contagion, which has eerie similarities to the coronavirus outbreak, has jumped from Warner Bros' 270th most watched film to its second.

The 2011 movie, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, tracks a global epidemic as a mystery virus from Hong Kong travels to the United States and kills millions of people.

Almost a decade after its release, Contagion rose more than 260 places on its studio's most watched back catalog, making the huge leap from 270th in December to number two this week.

It is also tenth highest rented on Apple's iTunes store, alongside 2019 Oscar winner Parasite and Frozen II. A year ago it failed to make the top 100.

The number of coronavirus cases in New York has now jumped to six after the wife, two children and neighbor of a Manhattan attorney who is currently hospitalized with the disease all tested positive.

In total, the number of cases across the country have soared to more than 150 and 11 people have now died from the disease.

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Healthcare workers transport a patient on a stretcher into an ambulance at Life Care Center of Kirkland on February 29, 2020 in Kirkland, Washington

Kate Winslet stars in Contagion. The 2011 movie tracks a global epidemic as a mystery virus from Hong Kong travels to the United States and kills millions of people

Contagion producer Michael Shamberg told BuzzFeed: 'It was very deliberately designed to be a cautionary film. We got the science right.'

It has seen dozens more reviews on IMDB since January, with many noting the similarities to coronavirus.

Writer Scott Z. Burns told Fortune last month: 'The similarities between our contagion and the coronavirus are immaterial, accidental, and really not that important.

'What is more important and accurate is the societal response and the spread of fear and the knock-on effects of that. That is proving to be accurate.'

Customers take some of the last paper towels in a Costco store in New Jersey on Monday

Contagion tells the story of Beth, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who dies within 24 hours of returning to Minnesota from a business in Hong Kong. Her husband, played by Matt Damon, pictured right, is miraculously immune and survives

Contagion tells the story of Beth, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who dies within 24 hours of returning to Minnesota from a business in Hong Kong. She had exhibited fatigue and cold-like symptoms which she put down to jet lag.

The speed with which the disease spreads is quickly shown as her young son also catches the unidentified illness and also dies. Her husband, played by Matt Damon, is miraculously immune and survives.

The movie also stars Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, as the epidemiologist on a desperate search for a vaccine.

Steven Soderberg's film quickly drew comparisons to the current coronavirus outbreak

Google searches about how to stream Contagion began to spike as the first cases in the United States were confirmed.

'For years I said that Contagion is one of the scariest films ever made and now here we are,' tweeted actor and director Stephen Ford tweeted last month.

A pedestrian wears a face mask while walking in New York City on Tuesday

Jude Law, center, stars in the film which quickly drew comparisons to coronavirus

The Warner Bros. movie was first released on September 9, 2011, grossing $135.5 million at the global box office.

It was released alongside a social awareness campaign highlighting what preventative steps can be taken to avoid catching a virus.

The movie was generally praised by the scientific community for accurately depicting how a doomsday epidemic scenario might play out.

It is said to have been modeled on the 2003 SARS outbreak, depicting what might happen if that virus had been even more deadly and contagious.