Coronavirus-like illness in 1981 Koontz novel causes social media stir
In the novel, he called the illness 'Wuhan-400'
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel discusses how the coronavirus is being spread and how affected areas are preparing to contain it.
A 1981 Dean Koontz novel has become the subject of a now-viral conspiracy theory after excerpts posted online appear to show how the tome predicted the outbreak of coronavirus, social media shows.
“In around 2020 a severe pneumonia-like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and bronchial tubes and resisting all known treatments,” states the book, “The Eyes of Darkness.”
Even more bizarre, he called the virus “Wuhan-400.” Wuhan is the name of the city in China where the coronavirus strain, COVID-19, broke out.
Koontz has not yet commented, but a book store owner based in Hong Kong told the South China Morning Post he’s not surprised Koontz picked Wuhan, a city historically known as a hub for research facilities, such as those handling virology and microbiology.
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“Smart, savvy writers like Koontz would have known all this and used this bit of factual information to craft a story that is both convincing and unsettling,” the owner, Albert Wan, told the outlet. “Hence the Wuhan-400.”
Dean Koontz, "The Eyes of Darkness"
Writer Dean Koontz on March 30, 2013, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
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Nearly 60 nations representing every continent, except Antarctica, have confirmed cases of coronavirus. China is still the hardest-hit country and has most of the 83,000 cases worldwide and related deaths, which total roughly 2,800 globally.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.