We have to admit we were rather impressed when we heard the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) would be conducting two live Twitter chats in honor of the release of the Hollywood film Contagion starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and a host of other big-name stars. Contagion follows the swift progress of a deadly indirect contact transmission virus that is fatal within days. Pop culture has been a secret weapon for the CDC with their brilliant Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness Guide earlier this year which got them huge buzz.
The first chat is underway now and features CDC expert Dr. Jennifer McQuiston taking questions about how the CDC investigates deadly diseases and protects people against their spread. Didn’t get a chance to be a part of today’s chat? No worries — once more, on Monday, September 19th at 2:00 pm EDT, you can chat with some of CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers. Kate Winslet plays an EIS officer in Contagion!
We love it when a government agency is able to get the public engaged in different and interesting ways. Just because it involves safety and the government does not mean it has to be boring.
Here are the instruction from the CDC for the chat: “Using your Twitter account, go to CDC’s Twitter page, and follow #CDCcontagion during the chat. If you can’t participate during the event, you can still submit questions in advance on Twitter to @CDCgov (include the #CDCcontagion hashtag), or on CDC’s Facebook page at any time before the event. If you need more information about Twitter, here’s the link.”
-Andy, Eland
