Coronavirus Update
by Mike James
A lot has occurred since we first wrote about this subject about six weeks ago. Worldwide there are more than 136,390 confirmed cases with 5,065 deaths. China’s number of infections is down dramatically due to their Draconian measures in locking down large segments of their country. The interesting thing to watch in China now is what will happen when they decide to send everyone back to work. South Korea reported only 131 new cases on March 10 compared to its peak of 909 cases on February 29. The South Koreans were able to achieve this through widespread testing, rapid tracing, and isolating the infected people. On the other hand, in places like Italy, 200 people died from the virus in one day (March 12). The Italian government has ramped up its response by putting the entire country into a form of quarantine as their total death toll is now over 1,016. As of March 13, 2020, only 1,700 Americans have come down with the disease and 41 have died. But according to the experts, things will get a lot worse in the United States before it gets better.
As we make decisions to protect ourselves from this threat we need to look at biblical principles to decide on what to do. The Bible does have something to say on how to handle infectious disease. The Bible does not speak specifically about the present coronavirus pandemic in the world, but the principles on handling infectious disease can be extrapolated out to our present circumstances. In Leviticus 13 and 14 we read about quarantine and washing techniques being used by the Israelites to deal with infectious disease in their community. The infected were also separated from the community. Our experts in the field are making these very same recommendations today. We need to live by these principles and stay away from each other when we are sick and limit interaction because we can’t be sure of who has this virus or where it may be floating. We also need to wash our hands on a regular basis. The insidious thing about this disease is some people may have it and not even know it. They can then compromise the immune systems of those who are more susceptible to this type of virus when they come into contact.
Now let’s keep things in perspective. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) anywhere from 300,000 to 600,000 people die each year from flu-related illness. We are nowhere near those numbers yet, but we have taken extraordinary measures we never take with the flu. But what keeps the experts up at night is the fact this is a new virus we don’t have any experience with. The virus can be carried by a person without them even knowing it. It also seems to be easier to catch than the flu. But for older people, especially over 80 with pre-existing conditions, the virus can be more deadly. All viruses can mutate and change, becoming more or less harmful. One of the problems with the influenza plague of 1918-1920 was the strain mutated over the summer and became much more virulent in the fall of 1918. That pandemic killed 675,000 in the United States and an estimated 50 million worldwide, but half of those died from September 1918 to December 1918.
It’s amazing when you think about it that this all may have started due to an infected animal in a Wuhan, China food market. The best theory on how this started is that the likely culprit was a live biblically unclean animal being sold at a food market. The animal was likely infected with the virus in the wild by a bird or bat. I want to quote from the booklet, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, written in 1973 by the Worldwide Church of God: “Such massive plagues are not now happening in America and other developed countries due to existing sanitary standards, medical science, and the organized security measures which separate “civilization” from wilderness. But the point is the potential for epidemic is always there, dormant, latent, ready to strike when such protective conditions break down.”
I personally do not believe we are near (my lifetime) the end of this age. Things could always ramp up quickly, but this is nothing compared to what is coming. But if you have been observing how this coronavirus event is playing out on the world stage imagine how the world would be reacting if the influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 were playing out right now with all the media and social media outlets we have today. The pandemic from 1918-1920 killed young and old alike in massive numbers. The people who die from this present disease are mostly the old and those who have preexisting health issues. That is terrible and tragic, but when the end does come it will be much worse than what we are experiencing now (Revelation 6:7-8). Luke 21:11 tells us at the time of the end there will be “pestilences in various places and fearful events.” This is definitely a fearful event for many right now—not only for health reasons, but economic reasons. But Jesus also told His disciples when He described the end times in Luke 21:9, “Do not be frightened….” We need to heed these words of our Savior and not be frightened. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ you need not be frightened. Be an example for friends and family around you now who are frightened. Let them see that with God’s Holy Spirit they can have a calmness and surety for God’s coming Kingdom.
For the latest information on this virus go to coronavirus.gov (US government website) or coronavirus.jhu.edu (Johns Hopkins website).
Sources:
The Washington Post, March 9-13, 2020
The Great Influenza, John M. Barry