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Health Care Providers Fear Cancellation of Telehealth Coverage After Pandemic Ceases

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The COVID-19 pandemic has made it possible for doctors to move patient checkups to the phone, a positive step for many doctors and patients. But as the pandemic winds down, will insurance stop covering telehealth?

Meg Fregoso, a nurse practitioner, used to see patients who previously had a lung transplant at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Now she uses telehealth to meet patients.

Fregoso is one of many health care providers offering more telehealth services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, providers are concerned that they will no longer be reimbursed for these services once coronavirus restrictions are lifted. 

The coverage of telehealth for physical therapy services was rare before COVID-19, according to Kara Gainer, director of regulatory affairs at the Alexandria-based American Physical Therapy Association. Now, Medicare and most insurance companies are covering more telehealth services due to the coronavirus, Gainer said. 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expanded Medicare coverage due to COVID-19, according to the organization’s website. However, the agency will reduce payments, on Jan. 1, 2021, to more than three dozen categories of health care providers, according to APTA.

Challenges still remain for physical therapists as many are uncertain about payment, according to a survey done by the APTA.

Gainer works with different groups, such as the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, to advocate for the continuation of coverage for health care providers. 

“Everyone would be supportive of receiving reimbursement for telehealth services at the same rate as receiving reimbursement for in-person services,” Gainer said.  

Reimbursement is the payment that health insurers send to health care providers for giving a medical service, according to an article by Verywell Health, a website that provides health information.

In the past, Inova considered using telehealth to treat post lung transplant patients, Fregoso said. However since most insurance providers didn’t reimburse this type of service, it wasn’t commonly used. Now, Fregoso and other providers are reimbursed for telehealth visits.

“With everything with COVID, it became kind of critical,” Fregoso said.

Telehealth uses technology like  messages, phone calls, and live video conference meetings to provide health care services, according to the American Telemedicine Association.

Jade Bender-Burnett, a physical therapist who serves patients with spinal cord and brain injuries at NeuroPT in Falls Church, used telehealth to serve patients before COVID-19 and has continued to use it. Bender-Burnett spoke about how COVID-19 made telehealth more accessible.

“One of our biggest barriers to providing virtual treatment sessions has always been reimbursement,” Bender-Burnett said. 

Some patients, like Kathy Lindsey, find telehealth appointments more beneficial than visiting the doctor in-person. Lindsey sees an endocrinologist in Fairfax County. She began using telehealth to see her endocrinologist because of COVID-19. 

Given the option she would like to continue using telehealth services because it is convenient and efficient, Lindsey said. 

Telehealth’s more prominent role in health care will make private insurance companies and Medicare likely continue to cover these services, according to Gainer. Congress will have to act to ensure continued coverage because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services does not have the authority to make the coverage permanent, Gainer said. 

Legislation has been introduced that would make telehealth coverage permanent for therapy providers, according to Gainer. It is likely the discussion regarding telehealth and introduction of other bills will occur in Congress in the coming months, Gainer said.

“The landscape is forever changed,” Gainer said.

Written by Rebecca Elrod, Capital News Service. Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Urgent Progressive Change: Speaking With Richmond Mayoral Candidate Alexsis Rodgers

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RVA Magazine sits down with Alexsis Rodgers, a community activist and mayoral candidate for the City of Richmond, to learn more about her policies. 

On June 6, Alexsis Rodgers formally announced her candidacy for Richmond mayor. Rodgers, a VCU graduate, is currently the Virginia state director for Care in Action: the policy and advocacy home for two million women domestic workers. Rodgers is also the former president of the Virginia Young Democrats. Rodgers’ campaign is running on the slogan “Policies Not Apologies.”

Among the policies and reform she’s passionate about are voting rights, economic security, college affordability, and quality health care. Some of her accomplishments include playing a key role in achieving Medicaid expansion, and growing birth control access during her time at Planned Parenthood here in Richmond. 

We sat down with Rodgers to learn more about her policies ahead of the election. 

RVA Magazine: I’ve seen and read that you’ve been in leadership positions such as the president of Virginia Young Democrats, and now you’re the Virginia State Director for Care in Action. Why do you want to run for mayor? Why now?

Alexsis Rodgers: Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen more clearly than ever that the community wants urgent, progressive change. A lot of the demands that we’re hearing from the community are policy demands that they’ve been setting forward for years — whether that be police accountability, a civilian review board with authority to subpoena, or the Marcus Alert. What I’ve seen from our Mayor’s Office is a resistance to listen and be responsive to calls from the community, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this dismissal… When you look back at the Navy Hill fight, the Education Compact, and development projects all throughout the city, we’ve seen the Mayor center the interests of corporate elites and special interests more so than people. I think now more than ever, we need someone who’s in touch; who has worked with community activism leaders to fight for progressive change, but who also understands policy and its process. I think I’m that candidate. 

RVA Mag: What do you think is the best solution for the city’s ongoing problems with education, especially for students who are economically disadvantaged and/or from marginalized backgrounds?

AR: Number one: right now, in the middle of this public health crisis, we’re seeing the importance of education and the importance of child care. For too many of Richmond’s families, access to affordable child care, early childhood education, and the right to go to a good quality school has not been a reality. I think we have to start by centering the right values, and the right people, in the process. We’re never going to get the results we want when it comes to educational equity if we don’t start centering the folks that are the most impacted. If we don’t start by engaging and listening to our teachers, faculty, and support staff. If we’re not truly listening to parents. We haven’t seen any true community engagement through this Mayor’s Administration. That’s something we’re going to need to address if we want to fully fund RPS, if we want to get police out of our school systems, and make sure that schools are a safe place for our kids to learn and grow. 

RVA Mag: How do you feel about the issues that have come up in the past year or two regarding de facto segregation of school districts within the city?

AR: There’s a systemic issue when it comes to racial and educational inequity here in Richmond, and right now we’re having a very public conversation about monuments and what they mean to black and brown folks. But we’re not [paying] enough attention right now to the systemic issues of racial injustice and education inequity. I think it has to start by, again, making sure we’re centering the right folks in these conversations. We haven’t always done that. We can’t ignore do-gooders in our community that want to support because they have access to corporate funds for our schools. They’re great community partners who have been helping to support our teachers and staff, but we need to make sure that we’re always putting students first. We know that Navy Hill was not a project that was going to put working-class folks first, and we’ve got to stop putting those corporate elites first when it comes to our policymaking. 

RVA Mag: The process of figuring out what to do with the Richmond Coliseum and its surrounding area, Navy Hill, has been a huge issue in the city over the past few years. How do you think you can most effectively move this discussion forward, and find a solution for the area that works for all Richmonders? 

AR: I think the project was doomed from the start, because it seemed to me that the process was rigged. It started with corporate special interest, and the plan was created, but it was rolled out under the guidelines of “wanting community feedback and input” — when really, they knew what they wanted the plan to be. It was not real engagement and real incorporation of community feedback. As Mayor, my commitment is that I’m not going to start with those special interests in mind first. I want to put the people first, and make sure there is real input from Richmond residents — that their voices are actually heard as we’re developing the city. It’s really important that we’re able to build and grow Richmond — make sure we open up new revenues for the city, so we can fully fund our schools and address housing and healthcare issues. But if we don’t center the right values as we work to secure economic development, we’re never going to do right by Richmond residents. 

RVA Mag: What are your views on what should be done on Monument Ave? 

AR: I think it’s really clear that Richmonders want these monuments down. I told a story when I first launched my campaign about when I was at school at Hanover High School: at track practice while we were practicing, a truck pulled up with a huge confederate flag in the back and started circling the parking lot. My coach went out and told that driver to go home. He knew the message that truck was trying to send to our team, he knew it was wrong, and he went out and called for that person to go.

Right now, what we’re seeing over the last several years, folks have asked for these monuments to be removed. They’ve asked for them to be put in museums, but for them to be put out of our public spaces. For too long, the Mayor has said, “Well we can’t,” or “I’m not sure,” or “We need to have a process.” We had a commission that made recommendations that didn’t go anywhere, and it’s only when this very visible unrest is happening in our city that he’s coming around to the right decision. It shouldn’t require us to put our literal bodies on the line, out here protesting for our rights in the middle of a pandemic, to be heard by our elected officials. We should be able to be valued and seen whether we’re protesting, speaking at a city council meeting, or writing a letter to a City Council member or our Mayor. All of those tactics should be heard and valued. We shouldn’t have to put our lives on the line as part of it. I sit out there marching with everybody else, asking for justice, asking for policy solutions… but also to say these racist symbols should be out of our public spaces, and it’s past time for that to happen. 

Photo via Alexsis Rodgers/Facebook

RVA Mag: What would you like to see done with the street once they’re removed?

AR: When we’re talking about public spaces and putting up monuments to individuals, that should take real community input. That should also honor folks whose history has been forgotten or erased. You know, Richmond is a creative city. We have a lot of artists. We have a lot of historians and researchers. Given the authority and the resources, we can have some real community engagement around [questions like], “What should we name our streets that are formally named after confederate generals?” “What should we put in place of these historically confederate monuments?” I don’t think the city residents haven’t been given that agency. I would love to see us move in that direction — where we’re having thoughtful conversations about race, using this moment where folks are becoming politically aware to move the city forward, and what should be in these public spaces that honor the right values and right cause. 

RVA Mag: Richmond’s eviction numbers saw somewhat of a decline after the city’s high rate of evictions became national news a couple of years ago, but the city has a long way to go before we’re completely past this issue. How do you foresee the city moving forward in a manner that is helpful to those struggling financially, both where evictions are concerned and in the changing face of public housing in Richmond?

AR: For too many people, especially during this public health crisis, they’ve been juggling whether they can put their health at risk and go to work, or put their job and livelihood at risk by staying home. There have been a lot of great activists out there calling for canceling rent, calling for freezing evictions, and [they’ve been] met with a lot of silence from our elected leadership. That’s not okay. It, again, shows how out-of-touch and out-of-alignment the current administration is from the real needs of the community. There were [homeless] folks at the beginning of the pandemic who were sheltering in place at Camp Cathy, and the city came and removed those folks’ homes. Now, I appreciate any effort to help make sure these folks are in a safe and supportive environment — especially during a public health crisis, where they can maintain social distancing and good hygiene — but the city came in and cleared out those folks’ properties. It was just garbage in the streets. I think that shows a lack of understanding of both dignity and their agency as human beings, and that’s not something I want to see our city do ever again. 

When we talk about affordable housing and making sure that folks are able to make ends meet, there’s a lot of layers to that. There’s making sure people have access to a good job, there’s a lot of emphasis on having transit options that connect people to jobs and work, healthcare access to make sure that where you’re going to work, you’re safe, and childcare so you can go to work and not worry about your family. There are a lot of efforts, a lot of smart folks working on housing policies. But it always has to start with centering people’s dignity, and their humanity, the value that every person should be able to live safely, and giving respect to folks. Maybe they are renters, and there are candidates in the race that don’t think renters should have as much of a say when it comes to their government, and that’s not right. Regardless of where you live or who you are, I want to be your Mayor, and I want to represent you in our government. 

RVA Mag: You’ve had a longtime involvement with Virginia League For Planned Parenthood, so are you at all concerned that abortion will become a wedge issue in your campaign? 

AR: I have always been fighting for healthcare access. In this race, I’m going to be a vocal champion for abortion rights. For me, I know that people that are pregnant need access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services — and that means access to good maternal care, birth control. That means access to abortion. Not every person wants to be pregnant, and not every person is able to carry their pregnancy to term. It’s important to me that we continue to champion those rights for those in Richmond. I was really excited to help Planned Parenthood begin their efforts to expand and open up new health centers in Church Hill. That’s going to be huge for this community, which has been historically underserved when it comes to healthcare access. I think that Planned Parenthood and access to reproductive healthcare here in the city is really important, and is actually going to be a way that we unite the city around certain issues — and certainly around expanding access to healthcare. 

RVA Mag: Finally, regarding gentrification in Richmond, what is your stance on this issue? 

AR: When I moved to the city, I moved to an apartment right near Lamplighter on Addison. My next-door neighbor was an older black woman who had lived there for, you know, forever. In the last couple years, she passed away, and her son wanted to tend to the house. He was really struggling. He had grown up in that house, and he didn’t want to leave the house “speechless” and give it over to renters, because this is the community he grew up in. He also didn’t feel like he had the resources to properly take care of it. Long story short, that house was flipped and sold for half a million dollars, and younger, white folks moved into it. It was a picture right in my eyes, here in Randolph, that is a historically-black community. There are a lot of roots there for black folks, and over and over we’re seeing black residents getting pushed out because of gentrification here in the city. I think it’s important for us to look at how we can make sure that families — specifically black families — can build and maintain wealth in their families. We can proceed to support black ownership when it comes to homes, but also black businesses, and generally making sure that our community of color is made strong. As you probably know, Hull Street used to be basically the Black Wall Street, and making sure that we’re continuing to support communities of color is going to be really important for me.

Interview by Carley Welch; top photo via Alexsis Rodgers/Facebook

Pandemic or No Pandemic, Angela Patton Believes in the Futures of Black Girls

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For 20 years, Girls For a Change has helped girls of color find success in a world still plagued with inequality. Angela Patton refuses to let a pandemic get the way of their futures.

Angela Patton, Chief Executive Officer for Girls For A Change, got an email notification. It was from a Camp Diva camper — an organization that empowers teen girls — thanking her for putting her picture on the Camp Diva flyer. “That’s a victory today!” she said. 

Right now, the venue where Camp Diva meets is empty. Patton and her staff make regular visits to maintain the mural-covered building, which is located in North Chesterfield. The space, equipped with a garden and meditation rooms, is designed to be a safe escape for girls who need it. 

Patton knows how important it is to have a safe space. She knows what it’s like to move to the suburbs and experience racism from neighbors, and later, colleagues. At Girls For A Change, Patton leads a variety of programs that give young girls, especially Black girls and other girls of color, the tools they need to break through the glass ceiling — or more accurately, concrete ceiling — and make space for themselves. 95 percent of the girls who participate in GFAC are Black. 

“That’s why they need these spaces,” Patton said. “To build that muscle, so that when they do have to face a principle, or face that boss, or the person who’s gonna give you the loan for your first entrepreneurial endeavor… you know how to advocate for yourself better than anyone else in this world. That’s the goal.” 

Two of GFAC’s programs are now virtual. The Girl Action Teams, an opportunity for girls to collaborate and create policy change of their own, now exist in a “one and done” format. GFAC publishes individual video sessions via newsletter, each with different themes. In a recent session, “It’s My Hair and That’s Why You Should Care,” the discussion centered on the evolution of what Black people have had to endure with their hair, and what girls would like to change about it. 

PHOTO: Girls For A Change on Facebook

“What’s really fun is sometimes boys hop on there!” said Patton. “We’re not pulling them away, because he probably could learn something that day, too.” 

The Girl Ambassador Program is also continuing virtually. Patton started it when she noticed that driven, talented GFAC alumni were struggling to find work. 

“I would have girls who had just graduated from college, followed all the rules, did all the stuff the book said to do. They followed a lot of white feminist movements, right? But for them as Black girls, it wasn’t working,” Patton explained. When they spoke up for themselves at work, they were accused of being loud and disrespectful, denied raises, and left out of conversations with colleagues. 

According to a 2018 Harvard Business Review article, some Black women say they have to “dampen aspects of their personality” in order to feel accepted by white colleagues. And while many companies claim to prioritize gender and racial diversity, they often fail to treat Black women with respect. In a Forbes Magazine survey, 42 percent of Black women had their judgement questioned in their area of expertise.

To combat the double standard, Girl Ambassadors attend four years of weekly training sessions, starting in the ninth grade. The program is designed to build “the whole girl,” from helping them discover their passions to learning how to navigate the professional world. They graduate high school with a paid internship, already way ahead of the game. 

For those without internet access — 15 percent of households with school-aged children (many of whom come from low-income, non-white families) — GFAC is prepared. Courtesy of equipment donors, each Girl Ambassador gets a laptop and her own virtual hotspot to use throughout the pandemic. 

PHOTO: Girls For A Change on Facebook

The real obstacle has been securing internships. When businesses closed, many of GFAC’s usual partners could not afford to pay interns. Through their “Support a Black Girl, Lift up a Small Business” fundraiser, which is still live, GFAC raised enough to secure an internship for each Girl Ambassador this year. Interns may not get paid the full amount, but they will still be able to learn from valuable mentors.

It’s important to Patton that her Girl Ambassadors keep moving. “I don’t want them to be a Covid Kid,” she said, concerned future employers will frown upon an empty work history. 

The Girl Ambassador program isn’t easy. Imagine trying to get an Instagram-obsessed teenager to show up for virtual coding classes on a Saturday. Of the 30 that enter the program each year, less than half go through with it. 

“Most of the time,” Patton said, “it’s like, ‘I didn’t believe I could do it, I didn’t understand it.’”

While Patton exhibits a tough facade, she responds with open arms. Girls who aren’t able to commit to the Girl Ambassador program can participate in one of GFAC’s many career-building activities, or can just hang out in the garden. “It’s all about staying in it with them for the long haul,” she said. “And when you see all the magical things she has to offer, making sure that she has an opportunity to show her tricks.” 

Patton, who grew up hearing “Because I said so,” has spent her time at Girls For A Change learning how to listen to girls. In the beginning, not all of her ideas were well-received. “They were like, ‘I don’t wanna do this!’” Patton laughed. She’s ready to negotiate. 

“Black girls have always been in a situation where we are seen and not heard,” Patton said. “We switched it to say, ‘I need you to be protective and listen, not discounting that, but I also need to hear what you’re feeling, too. And what do you think? And what do you think that has shifted and changed? And what are you still fearful of? And what do you want to celebrate today?’”

PHOTO: Girls For A Change on Facebook

A turning point for her was when she decided to ask the girls what they wanted to do. 

“I thought that I had the answers, and the girls actually ended up having the answers. I ended up learning to be a more active listener,” Patton said. 

In line with this philosophy, GFAC offers “Sister Circles,” a chance for girls to speak their mind to a supportive audience of individuals who can relate to their experience.  

Early on, Patton received some advice. “When I started [at Girls For A Change], so many people told me ‘You just need to do the programs and get a white woman to be the face,’” she said. “I will not lie to you, it has been a different struggle [from those of] white women I know that run and operate organizations. But guess what? I know what I signed up for, and I refuse for someone to turn me into something that I’m not.” 

To keep GFAC running successfully, Patton has a few strategies that work for her. “For one, I don’t have a problem telling people what Black girls have told me they needed,” she said. “I also surround myself with people that are on the moving train to make sure our girls get to victory. And if you’re not on that train to victory with me, then get the hell off!” 

“I’m not here to fix people,” she continued. “There are going to be some people who believe in this, and there are going to be some people who don’t. So let’s go in the direction of the people who do believe in this!” 

PHOTO: Girls For A Change on Facebook

The Martin Agency, a company that has employed GFAC alum, hired Talent Experience and Belonging manager Abu Ngauja in 2019 to ensure that every employee feels welcomed. Commitment to change, Patton believes, is the only way majority-white companies will make real connections with people of color. 

Referring to companies she’s observed, Patton said, “They spent thousands of dollars in workshops, and still don’t have access to Black people! I’m not saying they’re bad, I’m just saying, ‘What are the action steps that you’re going to take to be creative, and make sure that it is successful?’” 

With or without a pandemic, GFAC will continue to provide education and opportunities beyond what many girls could have imagined. The organization has helped over 30,000 girls learn about themselves and the world. You can read about some of their experiences flying for the first time, running a fundraiser, and the struggles of being a perfectionist on the website’s blog. 

To hear advice from highly accomplished Black men and women, tune into GFAC’s Lunch and Learn sessions on Facebook.

Top Photo via Girls For A Change on Facebook

A Single Act Of Love

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Governor Northam’s stay-at-home order is more than an inconvenient imposition; it’s an opportunity to care for your loved ones and the community as a whole.

We as humans have been through this pandemic thing before. We’ve seen members of our immediate and global families fall, and we’ve seen what the aftermath and recovery look like. And because we are human, this means we know some of things we can do this time to help keep our immediate and global families safe. 

Every day we wake up and commit one single act of love. We stay home.

Because this pandemic thing we are in? It immediately reduces us to all one family, one community, one global heart and voice. On one hand, this is terrifying: I have to rely on others to be safe? But on the other, it is beautiful: I have the power to help keep others safe.

Our frontline, our “essentials,” are holding the line at the hospitals, at the nursing homes, at restaurants, at the grocery stores, at the post office, on garbage trucks, and in so many other spaces. The rest of us – those who are not asked to take the risk of the essentials, who do not have to be out there in it – can do something for that frontline each and every day. We can commit one single act of love. We can stay home.

This single act of love – this staying home – is not about giving something up, it is about giving something back. There is a Zulu word that was often used by Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu when they were transitioning South Africa to democracy – ubuntu. It means, roughly, “I am because we are.” We stay home because now more than any time that most of us have lived through, we are not alone but a part of something bigger: a community, a global family. That family is at risk. But each of us can help make that family – our family – safer. This is what it means to be human: I am because we are.

Wash your hands. Scroll through something other than social media. Get outside and walk around the block. Go take pictures of birds. Go to the grocery store once a week (and thank the employees for being there). Say hello when you see a member of your extended family – we are all a family – but show them an act of love by keeping six feet between you. If you are out and there are too many people to keep this distance, go back home. 

It is beautiful, right now, what you can do for yourself and our broader family and community. And as of the Virginia Governor’s executive order yesterday afternoon, it’s also no longer just a recommendation. Ultimately, it’s simple. Commit a single act of love for your fellow humans each day and stay home until it is safe for us all again. Remember: I have the power to help keep others safe.

Top Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

Meme-ing Our Way Through The Outbreak

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In which we look for amusement in the midst of panic by turning to the creative image manipulators of the internet.

Coronavirus has killed thousands of people and sickened hundreds of thousands (if not millions) more around the world. It has also caused mass hysteria, and public health is on the brink. For obvious reasons, keeping a positive attitude gets difficult at times like this.

While you’re sitting alone in forced or self-imposed quarantine because of this pandemic, though, it’s worthwhile to try and find some light in the current situation. Therefore we have assembled this compilation of popular (don’t use the five-letter V word, please), amusing memes on the topic of COVID-19 and everything it has led to. Although this piece is for entertainment, that does not take away from those who are infected. Please be respectful and mindful, as this is still such a serious matter.

Warning: The following images in this article contain unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and strong language (which may be unsuitable for children). Basically, this compilation might not be suitable for anyone.

Let’s All Freak Out!! Coronavirus Updates & Pandemic Movies For The End Of Days

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Happy Friday the 13th!  Everything is good, and this is fine. As the River City gets closer to the inevitable flames of coronavirus, we’re here to keep you entertained during your quarantine. We hope you bought toilet paper. 

Welcome to Dr. StangeVirus, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Corona. While we all practice social distancing and cleaning everything in our homes, RVA Mag says, “How’s about we fire up the Hulu, Netflix, and Vudu, and scare the hell out of ourselves?” 

In all seriousness, we hope you’re safe and healthy. We’re sure you’ve been told enough times what to do, but in case you need more information, please check with the CDC for updated information on coronavirus, health tips, and safety precautions. Information on current cases by country can be found here, and local information from Virginia-related cases are listed here.

Now, let’s get to it. Below is a breakdown of some of our favorite pandemic movies. It’s certainly not a complete list, but it’s full of our favorites from the genre. We could spend days on just zombie-outbreak movies alone… but on that note, are you read up and prepared for the zombie apocalypse? The answer is no. Not in the least bit. Someone had to say it. 

We highly suggest reading The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, and you can download it if you’re too scared to make the trip to a crowded bookstore. Get your bug-out bag ready,  learn the best ways to fight, and take note of the great tips like “Blades Don’t Need Reloading,” “No Place is Safe, Only Safer,” and “Use Your Head: Cut Off Theirs!” 

On to the movies. Most of these are available for online streaming, and we know you’re going to be inside freaking out — so you should probably work on making some art. Keep those hands busy. But if you’re not creative, or you want something on in the background, get ready for RVA Magazine’s master list of the best End-Of-Days flicks to keep you company during the coronavirus outbreak. 

1. THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN

A 1971 film about a foreign pathogen outbreak is one of our first big virus films today. This one started as a book by Michael Crichton, who you probably know from Jurassic Park. The film actually follows the book very closely, as a special team deals with the impact and works to contain it. Backed in science and heavy drawn-out plot, it’s a bit of a slow burner — but it’s also a wonderful film, with beautiful, vast scenes and an amazing set design.

This one comes from the set designer of 2001 by Stanley Kubrick, who used special effects and computer-rendered effects never used in film before. Overall, it set the stage for many films to come about outbreaks, and the serious effects they can pose if not contained. This may be a bit slow for some (cough, cough, millennials — cover that cough!), so maybe this works best as a background movie while you play a game or make some art. Make some art!

2. CONTAGION

Oh my god, the trailer. It freaks me out. So here we are… this film from Steven Soderbergh grasps you, and it does not let go. There are some great actors in this one, and Soderbergh is always able to get the best out of actors. This movie feels real, and it moves at a fast pace that’s set in the straight-up cold medical reality of what happens in a pandemic. This is our paranoid freakout right here, and I’m gonna tell you now that it’s not something to watch lightly — this is not your fun movie pick of the day. This is now: 100 percent, this movie will kick your ass. If you’re so inclined to jump in the fire, then this is a great baptism straight into it. 

3. IT COMES AT NIGHT

True story: I met Joel Edgerton in Ellwood Thompson’s at the juice bar when he was filming Loving here in Richmond. I had just seen him in Black Mass, and thought he was great, so I awkwardly said hello to him. I could tell he was surprised to be noticed, but he was really nice. Edgerton plays the father in this very dismal and dark film, which covers a virus that ends society as we know it.

We know a few things — one is that it comes at night. What is it? Good question. I know one thing: it’s fear. And this movie shows what that does to us. Like many other virus and end-of-days movies, we learn more about what fear does to humans, and how we respond, than about the virus itself. We want to say we’re heroes, but often we find that as humans, we fall prey to ourselves — and we let fear dictate our actions.

It Comes At Night deals with family, pandemics, fear, and panic — so it’s a delightful little film, and it’ll cheer you right up! I saw this film by myself in a theatre in West Virginia. I highly recommend doing that sometime, it makes you come to terms with quite a few things in the shadows. I really did love it, the actors and its pacing. While it’s not easy, I feel it’s a great film… even if it’s a hard watch. 

4. THE STAND

One of Stephen King’s masterpieces, The Stand is pretty topical right now. It played on TV some years ago when I was just a kid, and I remember watching it then. This one’s about a strain of influenza that has been modified for bio-warfare, and it causes an apocalyptic pandemic that kills most of the world’s population. This all happens in the 80s during the Cold War fears, so it plays a bit off of that, along with religious overtones throughout. It shows the breakdown of society when these things happen, and the emotional toll that it brings to populations enduring it.

This is a multifaceted story, told from multiple characters’ points-of-view. It tells of the deaths not directly caused by the virus, but by looting and vigilantism due to the breakdown and collapse of society. There is so much to describe, but you have to see it for yourself… this is one epic tale, much in the vein of Lord of the Rings if Middle-Earth was rocked by a virus that wiped almost everyone out. 

5. OUTBREAK

The feel-good movie of all virus movies here: Outbreak. You’ve got Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey (I know!), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Him too! Ahhh!), and a host of other people we might also have issues with, all in this film. It has cute monkeys and a few good scenes, like its movie theatre scene with particles of spit going into everyone’s mouths (yuck).

Look, in no way should this film be seen as giving you any good information. They do things you absolutely should not do. If this film were to take place in real life, Dustin Hoffman’s character would be walking around infecting people. And by the way, check out this ecologist from the CDC breaking down the pandemic scenes in this film on YouTube. Anyway, the good guys win in this one — because that’s what we used to want in movies. 

6. 28 DAYS LATER

Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic nightmare fuel is a terrifying ride into the virus-made zombie apocalypse. The trailer doesn’t really show how good this film is, so trust us that it’s much better than you’ll expect from this clip. You’re probably familiar with it — I would hope — but get the re-watch in, because it’s worth it. I remember the first thing I thought watching this was, “Wait… zombies can run? Well, that changes things.” This one is more serious, and to me, more realistic regarding what would happen in a real-world zombie outbreak. It’s both a political allegory and a humanist drama, and I think the best zombie movie ever made. It’s also a work of art: from its editing to its great actors, it has moments of pure fear and pure beauty. I just hope it never comes to this. 

7. CARRIERS

I watched this last night for the second time, on Netflix. It has Chris Pine, and it’s a great movie that shows what fear can do to people in an extreme situation. Even family. In a world where anyone you meet, and even the people close to you, can be carriers, what do you do? What if it’s you?

These questions play out in a tight-traveling group, with rules to keep them safe. But you know how that’s going to go… not good. Tough decisions sometimes have to be made, and who’s going to do it? At the center of this movie is a pair of brothers whose relationship is tested. The virus is a version of the bird flu that has mutated, and now it’s everywhere. Even the trailer is eerie in the context of our current coronavirus situation, though I would like to say this one has a hopeful ending. I guess it does, in a way. 

8. 12 MONKEYS

Another one you probably already know, 12 Monkeys has some great actors here as well. It’s a vehicle for Brad Pitt, and was the first time many of us thought, “Woah, Brad Pitt is awesome.” It’s based off of a movie I watched in film school called La Jetee, which is hauntingly-beautiful, and also centers around the end of the world from a viral weapon. In 12 Monkeys, we get to time-travel back and try to save the future.

It’s always fun with time-travelling paradoxes, and the complete mental loops that they make us take. This one is more neo-noir science fiction than an actual virus outbreak film, but it’s worth a mention, as it’s very good. The ending is so beautiful; I’ve always loved this one. 12 Monkeys is a great movie if you don’t want to fully descend into the virus theme, but want something great along similar lines to entertain. 

9. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH

This is based on I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, a great and quick read. This is the old Vincent Price (full movie is embedded above), and it’s a bit slow at parts, but I really like it. You may be familiar with the story from I Am Legend with the Fresh Prince, but that’s okay — it misses out on many of the deeper elements. The 1971 Charlton Heston movie Omega Man is also based on I Am Legend, and it’s decent, but it changes many of the pieces of the novel that I think are perfect. This is, if you ask me, the one to watch.

So the basic concept here for The Last Man On Earth is a pandemic: it causes many people to become vampires, more or less, and it seems to conform to stereotypes of fiction and lore. Our hero, Dr. Morgan (Neville in the book), studies the vampires and gathers them during the day, killing those he can. He’s looking for a cure to save the human race. I don’t want to give away too much, but in the end, he finds himself being as much of a “legend” as the vampires he hunts. Like I said, this is one of my favorite books. It’s a quick read, and it gets into politics and humanity in similar ways as The Walking Dead, many years earlier. 

10. HACKERS

At the end of a list like this, we need some lighter fare. Yes, this movie is about a computer virus, but still… HACK THE PLANET! This is a fun ride, and it’s got a lot of future star power that we’ve come to know very well. A virus that causes a worldwide disaster — that fits right in. It’s a classic group-of-friends movie, like Goonies for the cyber age. It’s funny to watch now, looking back on the ways technology has evolved to its status quo today. If you need something a little lighter on the list, this is your go-to!

Well, that’s a good start. There’s a quick list below of others to check out if you’re still wanting for more. Keep safe out there, support your friends and family by staying home, and clean stuff, yo! 

Remember this important message from Brak:

MORE TO WATCH:

Cabin Fever
Resident Evil Series 
Blindness 
Black Death 
Walking Dead Series 
Children of Men (honorable mention for film quality) 
REC
The Crazies
…and all the other zombie films.