Can an analogy be found comparing the coronavirus pandemic and one of the most commercial films in Hollywood history, “Jaws”? I see a similarity regarding the central conflict. The plot of the 1975 blockbuster film, “Jaws,” is simple and effective:

During a beach party at dusk on Amity Island, a young woman goes skinny dipping in the ocean. While treading water, a great white shark violently pulls her under in a terrifying sequence. The medical examiner rules that the death was due to a shark attack and the police chief, Brody, orders the beach closed. Mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the town’s summer economy will be ruined and points out that the town’s history has rare shark encounters. The mayor makes his argument: “All I’m saying is that Amity is a summer town — we need summer dollars, and if they can’t swim here, they’ll use the beaches at Cape Cod.”

The coroner agrees with the mayor’s theory that the woman died in a boating accident. Brody reluctantly accepts their conclusion until another fatal shark attack occurs. The shark kills a young boy paddling on his raft near a crowded beach. The panic begins.

In a sense, the shark in “Jaws” is not unlike the coronavirus. The situation and the conflict are similar, as well. We all want to return to the beach to sunbathe and swim. The virus, like the shark, needs a new larder. The virus, unlike the shark, can’t exist by itself. It needs a host. Crowds of revelers create the perfect target.

It is understandable but disturbing to see armed protesters demanding that the economy, the beaches and parks reopen, even though it could be premature. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently allowed some beaches to open. The scientists warn us, however, that the virus — like the shark — could return with a vengeance. We have already lost more Americans to the COVID-19 outbreak than those killed in the Vietnam War.

This past April 20, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that “unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery economically is not gonna happen. So what you do if you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you’re gonna set yourself back.”

Dr. Fauci says as painful as it is to follow guidelines of gradually phasing into a reopening, “it’s gonna backfire. That’s the problem.”

Problem, indeed. In fact, a second wave of the virus could explode exponentially with the death toll rising by the tens of thousands. The second wave of the 1918 Spanish Flu killed 50 million people. This new virus is still relatively unknown, and could become a reoccurring plague.

I certainly understand the restless populace. I would like to see our devastated economy reopen, I really don’t like wearing a mask, I miss eating at some favorite restaurants, and I will definitely miss the Revive@5 live concerts every Wednesday if they are canceled for the summer. I like having a beverage of my choice while listening to the local bands.

Three men in a boat eventually kill the shark in “Jaws.” Unfortunately, a vaccine for COVID-19 may be a year away. We have to be patient and stay safe.

Dead people can’t work or walk on the beach.

Michael Corrigan of Pocatello is a San Francisco native and a retired Idaho State University English and speech communication instructor. He studied screenwriting at the American Film Institute and has authored seven books, many about the Irish American experience.