Coronavirus-like illness in 1981 Koontz novel causes social media stir

In the novel, he called the illness 'Wuhan-400'

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.”

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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.”

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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.

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