Viral! People Think 2018 K-Drama "My Secret, Terrius" Predicted COVID-19

South Korean drama series My Secret, Terrius was released in September 2018, but it's gaining attention again. The K-Drama is being linked to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Now that people the world over are under community quarantine at home, "Netflix and chill" has become part of their daily routine, which could explain how this K-Drama was suddenly rediscovered.

In Episode 10, a fictional doctor told Im Se-mi's character Yoo Ji-yeon that their findings pointed to "a mutant coronavirus." Coronavirus is likened to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and the common flu. "They all fall in the same family with the same gene information," the doctor said. "The coronavirus attacks the respiratory system."

It was also mentioned in the same scene that the MERS outbreak back in 2015 had a mortality rate of over 20 percent, but the mutant coronavirus case in this K-Drama was said to have been tweaked "to increase the mortality rate to almost 90 percent," hinting that terrorists in the series may have been developing it as some sort of "weapon" for a biochemical terrorist attack.

The doctor added, "What's more serious is that the coronavirus has an incubation period of two to fourteen days." However, the coronavirus in the series was said to attack the lungs directly within five minutes after being exposed to it.  

"Is there a cure?," Yoo Ji-yeon asked. 

The doctor replied, "There's no cure or vaccine available at the moment. They're hard to develop,"  

Netizens think the similarity between the crisis happening now and the reference used on the show is uncanny, and they are left speechless and in utter disbelief. 

But there's no need to freak out, because the series didn't exactly "predict" the COVID-19 outbreak. Coronavirus' history traces back to as early as the 1960s. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans."

The website Wired further explained the virus, stating, "Coronaviruses are made up of one strip of RNA, and that genetic material is surrounded by a membrane studded with little spike proteins. (Under a microscope, those proteins stick up in a ring around the top of the virus, giving it its name—'corona' is Latin for 'crown.') When the virus gets into the body, those spike proteins attach to host cells, and the virus injects that RNA into the cell’s nucleus, hijacking the replication machinery there to make more virus. Infection ensues."

As to how COVID-19 spreads, WHO explains, "The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick."

READ: Hand Washing Is Your Best Defense Against COVID-19!

My Secret, Terrius is a rom-com mystery series that stars So Ji-sub (Kim Bon), Jung In-sun (Go Ae-rin), Son Ho-jun (Jing Yong-tae), and Im Se-mi (Yoo Ji-yeon). Go Ae-rin suddenly loses her husband, and her next-door neighbor, NIS agent Kim Bon, helps her uncover the truth and mystery surrounding this untimely death. This K-Drama was aired in ABS-CBN last year with the title Code Name: Terrius. 

Looking for a K-Drama to watch? Check out our recommendations below:

17 Fresh And Upcoming K-Dramas That Should Be On Your Radar Now

The Next K-Dramas You Should Watch After "Crash Landing On You"

Photo from MBC