Humanity’s nemesis of the year 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), will debut in the manga finale of Cells at Work! With how rough the year has been for us, it is no surprise that Cells at Work! author Akane Shimizu would draw inspiration from current events.

According to a tweet from Cells at Work!’s Twitter page, the first part of the volume is titled “New Coronavirus (Part 1)”. A translated portion of the tweet reveals the noble intentions behind the final volume:

“In appreciation to the medical professionals fighting on the front lines, we hope this helps in the proper understanding of the new coronavirus.”

The manga series, which was previously on a long hiatus, will have its sixth and final volume published on 9th February next year. The previous volume has been out for more than three years, being released in August 2017.

While there was a long dry spell from the main series, there was a healthy amount of spin-off series that helped kept fans entertained. These include:

• Bacteria at Work
• Cells that Don’t Work
• Cells at Work and Friends!
• Platelets at Work
• Cells at Work! Code Black

Off these spin-offs, Cells at Work! Code Black has its own anime adaptation. The release date for its premiere is January 9th 2021. The main series’ second season, Cells at Work!! (note the double exclamation marks) will also make its way to our screens that same month.

While the coronavirus feature of Cells at Work! will spell the literal end of the manga, there is still a lot more to catch up for anime viewers. The first season of Cells at Work! is currently available on Netflix.