Comedy Legend Mel Brooks and Son Max Offer Tips for Not Spreading Coronavirus

The ease of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus has proven to be one of its most deadly qualities as people are likely to carry the virus and spread it without showing symptoms and without knowing they have the virus. As a handy explainer for the importance of social distancing during the pandemic, writer Max Brooks and his father, comedy legend Mel Brooks, have posted a video online not online outlining why it’s an important practice and the potential ramifications of not exercising the precaution could have on the world. Watch the whole video for yourself below!

“I’m Max Brooks, I’m 47 years old,” the video begins. “This is my dad Mel Brooks..he’s 93. If I get the coronavirus, I’ll probably be okay, but if I give it to him, he could give it to Carl Reiner who could give it to Dick van Dyke, and before I know it I’ve wiped out a whole generation of comedic legends. When it comes to coronavirus, I have to think about who I can infect and so should you.”

If there’s one person in Hollywood that can attest to stopping the spread of a virus, it’s Max Brooks; who fans know from his two novels The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, the later of which was adapted into the feature film starring Brad Pitt and which has had a sequel in development for some time. The status of that movie was unclear even before the coronavirus became a global pandemic and has shut down feature film and television production worldwide. In the face of such a widespread actual virus, the audience for such a movie may shrink even after the world overcomes the coronavirus.

According to the World Health Organization, who officially dubbed the outbreak a “pandemic” last week, there are 153, 517 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide with 10,982 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours. Worldwide there have been 5735 deaths. In the United States there have been 1678 confirmed cases with 41 deaths as of this writing.

For those who are worried about the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC offers a litany of tips, including covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding large gatherings or close contact with people who are sick, and washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.