‘MY MIND IS BLOWN’
The Simpsons predicted coronavirus in 1993 episode about flu-like bug spreading from Asia, fans claim
THE Simpsons fans are convinced the show predicted the coronavirus outbreak in an episode that first aired in 1993.
More than 200 people have died from the virus and the first cases of people infected with the virus have been confirmed in the UK.
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Fans have been quick to draw similarities between the Simpsons creator Matt Groening's episode to today's killer outbreak.
During the 1993 episode, everyone in Springfield was dying to get their hands on fancy blenders as juicing became a popular fad in the town.
One scene shows a factory worker in Japan coughing all over the blenders before they were shipped to the US.
In the episode, the virus - called the Osaka Flu - spread in the US.
As a result, most of the residents in Springfield get ill as the Osaka Flu spreads through the town.
Fans have taken to Twitter to discuss the episode that aired 27 years ago.
However, they fail to note that the Osaka Flu fictionally originated in Japan and the coronavirus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China.
One person even edited "Osaka flu" to "Coronavirus" in Kent Brockman’s news report from the episode.
One person tweeted: "The Simpsons, 1993, this goddamn series predicted coronavirus. My mind is blown."
Another added: "THE SIMPSONS DON’T MISS."
This isn't the first time the show has predicted global events.
An episode that aired in 2000 predicted Donald Trump getting elected as president.
It comes as the UK's first coronavirus victims remain in quarantine in Newcastle.
Authorities are now desperately scrambling to contain the spiralling epidemic with fears up to 2,000 could be infected in the UK.
The deadly new coronavirus is now worse than the SARS outbreak - as global cases hit almost 10,000.
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There were around 8,100 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported during the outbreak between 2002 and 2003.
While some experts believe coronavirus is not as deadly as SARS, there are fears over it spreading quickly and key features are still unknown, including how lethal it really is.
Like other respiratory infections, it is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes, with an incubation time from one to 14 days.
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