Nevispages.com weekly feature by Curtis Moton Sr
The way I see it, we need to take the pending threat of the coronavirus (COVID 19), very seriously.
Deep down in my mind, I get the impression that we have the same mindset that we normally have when there is an approaching hurricane: ‘It ain’t gonna affect us…’ Normally, the hurricane would change course and we don’t even acknowledge the mercies of God and we just go on living ‘happily ever after.’
My mind tells me that we are more than overdue for our next major disaster. This year we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the infamous Christena disaster and now 50 years on, here comes Corona.
Well I newa!
This is truly one MADE IN CHINA but has caught the full attention of the entire world and the World Health Organization is not far from declaring it a pandemic. The thing is spreading so fast, that it has been said that in some areas, they are running out of face masks, napkins and toilet paper.
So how is it transmitted?
According to information received from the WHO website:
“Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.”
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.” So, the signs and symptoms are very similar to the common cold, but it appears as if basic, standard hygienic practices can help to prevent the spread of the virus.
I have travelled a bit and so I have had cause to use several public bathrooms and I am appalled at the number of men who also use these bathrooms and when they finish, absolutely walk out and DO NOT WASH THEIR HANDS! I often wonder if women do the same thing? I watched one man one time, leave the urinal; not wash his hands and then make a beeline for the buffet line.
Well I newa!
So, dear reader, have it ever occurred to you that the next time you are going to shake someone’s hand, that you may well be in your right, to pause and wonder, what he was doing last with that hand?
Then SNEEZING. Sometimes, those things come out suddenly—catching you unawares, but the recommendation is that we should always attempt to sneeze and cough into tissues and if not possible, into our flexed elbows or sleeves. Tissues must then be properly disposed of. Washing of hands with soap and running water must become a constant habit. Even though it has been stated that people who are already sick and people who are over the age of 80 years are most vulnerable, we must be aware that all of us are at risk and need to take proper precaution.
So dear reader, I am pleading with you, to do your part to avert unnecessary risk-taking and avoid what you can avoid and protect yourself, as much as it is humanly possible.
Of course, all the while, we must pray and ask God for his continued protection and guidance through this threat to our health and our critical tourism product. God forewarned us in his word:
Matthew 24:7
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. However, God does not wish these debilitating illnesses upon us. On the contrary, he said:
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
So, it is the Devil’s hope for us to be sick and he wants us to die in our sins, but God, on the other hand, wants us to repent and change our wicked ways and promises his protection, even through the corona threat.
That’s the way I see it. How dod you see it?