Coronavirus: What it is and how to respond to it

Okay, so I have given article after article about how are brethren in Christ in persecuted countries are faring with this Coronavirus going on. However, I have not gone into this thing: what is the Coronavirus?

The Coronavirus is a disease that is curable. However, the strand of Coronavirus which is going around in the world right now is called Covid-19. The symptoms include: fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, sneezing and coughing.

This virus strand began in Wuhan, China and stayed in China since it commenced on New Years Eve 2019.

This all changed on January 21, 2020 when the first confirmed case of the virus came in the United States. It came courtesy of a man who traveled to Wuhan from Washington State. Before this Japan, South Korea and Thailand reported their cases the day before that.

On the 23 of January, China put Wuhan on complete lockdown, where the  virus began. Flights and trains were suspended, buses, ferries and subways in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading.

On the 30th, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international. This designation is reserved for extraordinary events that can spread internationally.

On the 11th of February, the virus was given the name, COVID-19.

On February 26, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms a case of COVID-19 in a patient in California with no travel history to a place where the virus broke out, not contact with someone diagnosed with the virus.

On the 29th of February, the first person to die was a man in Washington State with no travel history to China. There were 2 other deaths at a nursing home on the 26th to be recorded as the first deaths to happen in the United States.

On March 3rd, CDC allowed anyone to be tested for the virus with out restriction. No doubt, this came after the above mentioned death.

March 13th, President Trump declared this pandemic a state of National Emergency and decided to open up a $50 billion in federal funding to take care of COVID-19.

On March 15th, CDC warned against large gatherings, which included conferences, festivals, parades, concerts and the like. This was done to decrease the chances of the Coronavirus spreading. The next day, people were warned against going to gyms where people could catch the virus by touching unclean weights.

On March 17th, West Virginia reports it’s first COVID-19 case, showing that the disease was present in all 50 states(Read here for more). 

It is amazing how fast this thing has spread, how quickly has caught the attention of the news and how it has affected many systems. Churches are now meeting online for worship services and Bible studies. Schools are having online classes and some people are out of a job.

It’s crazy.

In the midst of all this craziness, how should we as Christians be acting? I will tell you what we SHOULDN’T be displaying: Anxiety, worry or panic. Our God is control of everything. This pandemic did not catch Him by surprise. It happened according to His Purpose (Ephesians 1:9). We need to put our total trust in Him and know that He is working this out all for our good.

What then should we be doing? We should, of course, be loving our neighbor. Here are 8 ways to do so:

1. Share from our overstock of supplies.

2. Building trust and sharing Christ.

3. Giving $0 to “faith healing” abusers

4. Supporting your local church

5. Being gentle and kind in lines

6. Keeping tabs on the elderly

7. Wash your hands

8. Encourage each other

This is a time where the Church needs to step up and be a light to the world around. Let’s get started on that.