The Virus Itself (Allegory)
This particular allegory is not revealed until the final moments of the film. In a flashback, we see the events that lead to the transmission of the virus. We see the deforestation that leads to the displacement of a bat, which leads the bat to infect a pig which is then served at a restaurant that Beth Emhoff visits. The irony is that Beth Emhoff's company is responsible for the deforestation in the first place. While the allegorical significance of this is not made explicit, the viewer can infer that the virus's transmission is an allegorical representation of corporate globalization and ecological destruction. Human affairs lead to the infection, and while Soderbergh does not make this point overtly moralistic, the film suggests that human society and its assault on the environment can lead to dire consequences. More simply, the outbreak is a symbol of human fragility as well as human resilience.
Forsythia (Symbol)
Alan Krumwiede takes advantage of human impressionability by suggesting that his homeopathic cure for the virus, forsythia, is effective, even though this is a complete hoax. The forsythia—and people's desperation to acquire it—comes to represent Krumwiede's dishonesty and the human capacity for deceit. People push and shove one another to get the herb in stores, believing that it will be the magic fix to a public health situation that is too traumatic to face. Forsythia represents a cynical side of human nature, the impulse to sell "snake oil" even in a time of crisis.
Dr. Mears's Cough (Symbol)
Not long after arriving in Minneapolis, Dr. Erin Mears develops a bad cough. After only one instance of this coughing attack, the viewer sees what it likely represents—that Mears has contracted the virus and could die. While she tries to choke down the cough and keep doing her duty, she eventually succumbs to the illness and dies. The cough represents human fragility.
Testing the Vaccine (Symbol)
After developing the vaccine, Dr. Hextall visits her father, who is dying of the virus, in the hospital. There, she tells him that she has tested the vaccine on herself, and if she lives after visiting him in the hospital, she will know that it is effective. This moment symbolizes Hextall's commitment to saving lives, as she is willing to risk dying of the virus in search of answers about the vaccine. It also symbolizes her belief in science, as we learn that it was her father who cultivated in her a love of medicine and scientific inquiry.
Prom at Home (Symbol)
Towards the end of the film, newly single father Mitch Emhoff throws his dispirited daughter Jory a prom in their living room. He gets her a dress, makes a playlist of music, and invites her boyfriend over to their living room, so that she can experience prom, even though it cannot be held publicly because of the virus. This moment in the film represents Mitch's commitment to taking care of his daughter even after all they have been through. It is one of the few glimmers of light in an otherwise dark film about loss—a representation of just how far empathy and human ingenuity can go.
