Contagion Stars Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, and Kate Winslet Release Coronavirus PSAs

Though many people aren't too thrilled to hear from celebrities during these trying times with the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus (as seen in the world's reaction to Gal Gadot's celebrity "Imagine" video), but some are coming together to create awareness in more meaningful ways and frankly they have some more experience. Some of the stars of the 2011 dramatic thriller Contagion, which has seen a lot more people watching it since the virus began to spread in the United States, have teamed up with scientists from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health to share PSAs about COVID-19 featuring evidence-based information about COVID-19 written by the experts that consulted on the film. Check on the film!

"As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is more need than ever for information about scientific, evidence-based precautions that we can all take to better protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities," they wrote in a statement. "Misleading, inaccurate messages and advice about the COVID-19 pandemic are being shared across both traditional and social media platforms. We wanted to do our part to curb this."

Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns produced the videos featuring Contagion stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, and Jennifer Ehle (which were all shot by the actors themselves, with Kate Winslet's shot by her husband). The PSAs were written with the help of the same experts who worked on the film including Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Columbia Mailman School's Center for Infection and Immunity, who is currently leading research to develop tests and drugs for COVID-19 and Dr. Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who helped eradicate smallpox and served as the first CEO of founder Jeff Skoll's Skoll Global Threats Fund.

You can watch the four videos below along with some other helpful celebrity PSAs about the coronavirus.

For those who are worried about the spread of the coronavirus, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 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.