Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 126th episode. In this episode I want to do a deep dive on the Coronavirus and its associated disease COVID-19. As you all know there is an immense amount of noise regarding this topic. The misinformation is spreading faster than the virus itself. Now that some time has gone by since the initial panic I think we have a much better purchase on what it is we are dealing with. I want to begin with an overview of COVID-19 and then speak about the collective response to it. All of the information I’m about to share with you comes directly from the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. I also left a link in the description which takes you to the President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America.
So what is Coronavirus and why are they calling it COVID-19? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. Upon first consideration COVID-19 doesn’t appear any more threatening than standard influenza – which is why some countries like Italy were caught by surprise. The major problem with COVID-19 is that it is both moderately contagious and moderately lethal. If it were extremely lethal it would kill its host before spreading to someone else.
When I say moderately contagious, I mean that it’s possible for you to be infectious before showing any symptoms. It’s also true that children can be infected and show no symptoms – making them like invisible vectors of the virus. Tests are showing incredibly high levels of virus immediately after contraction – in some cases 10,000 times higher than SARS, which was a different form of coronavirus in 2002. When I say moderately lethal, I mean that if you contract this virus the only weapon you have against it is your own immune system. The case-fatality risk for COVID-19 is between 0.25% and 3.0%. The case-fatality risk for seasonal influenza is well below 0.1%. It turns out the mortality rate of COVID-19 is heavily dependent on the quality of health care that’s available at the time of infection. Parts of Italy suffered a case-fatality risk between 5-8% because their hospital system was overrun.
You might be watching all of this unfold and wonder why the government is advising us to shut so many things down. You might be trying to figure out whether this is all one big overreaction. That was the case for me at first. But then I started to see more and more experts discuss the importance of flattening the curve. Flattening the curve means preventing the population from getting sick all at the same time. The thing to understand about COVID-19 is that it becomes a whole lot more dangerous if you can’t get access to treatment. If we all get sick at the same time then our hospital system will collapse much the same as Italy. Then the case-fatality rate increases substantially. And even if you don’t die, there’s other problems that could arise from not having access to proper treatment. If your infection turns into a severe case of viral pneumonia you could end up with scarring on your lungs that permanently diminishes your capacity to breathe. If you’re elderly and have underlying conditions, the virus could impact vital organs like your heart and increase your likelihood of complication and death. The nightmare scenario is a massive wave of COVID-19 patients collapsing the hospital system and preventing you from getting the treatment you need. It would be like you contracting the worst flu of your life and not being able to go to the hospital for it. That’s why the government is taking this so seriously. That’s why so many non-essential business and social gatherings are shutting down for 15 days. We must slow the spread.
The bright side is that if we are successful in flattening the curve, then your individual risk of permanent damage or death from COVID-19 is very low. With proper treatment you’ll recover from it the same way you would any other respiratory illness. There’s still conflicting evidence, but some reports even suggest if you recover from COVID-19 then you will be largely immune to it in the future. Wuhan, the city where the outbreak originated, is already getting back to work and has enjoyed a sharp decline in number of confirmed cases. I’m very happy about the fact that our government published guidelines and encouraged the population to follow them. I was quite concerned that these guidelines would be enforced by law – something I stringently disagree with. I think it’s stupid and irresponsible for individuals and organizations to ignore the CDC’s guidelines – but I also think it’s incredibly dangerous to cede personal freedom to the government in times of distress. You should be mindful of how many individual rights you are willing to surrender when you’re scared for your life. What I want to see is everyone listening to the experts and abiding by their guidelines voluntarily.
So what are the symptoms if you contract COVID-19? The major ones to watch out for are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. These symptoms appear 2-14 days after infection. Reported illnesses have ranged from asymptomatic to severe sickness and death. COVID-19 is spread in much the same way as influenza or a cold. This means it can be transmitted through the air by coughing or sneezing. Close personal contact such as touching or shaking hands can also spread it. Most research indicates that COVID-19 can live on objects or surfaces for 2-3 days, although some reports have suggested as many as 9 days. So you have to be careful about what you touch and always remember to wash your hands. The virus is also occasionally spread through fecal contamination. The CDC advises that you try to stay more than 6 feet away from other people in order to reduce person-to-person contamination. They also say you are most contagious when you are most symptomatic or sickest.
So what can you do about all of this? How can you protect yourself against COVID-19? Right now there is no vaccine for this virus. According to the CDC, by far the best way to protect yourself is to avoid being exposed to the virus. You should avoid close contact with people who are sick and practice social distancing. Social distancing means trying to stay more than 6 feet away from people and avoiding things like hugs and handshakes. You should also stay away from gatherings of people – even in churches which we will talk about in a moment. You should wash your hands often with soap and warm water. You need to wash them for at least 20 seconds. If you can’t wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. You should avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. The only kind of face mask that will protect you from COVID-19 is an N95 Respirator. The people who are at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are adults 65 and older as well as any person who suffers from heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes.
If you’re a young person with a robust immune system there are a few things to keep in consideration. First is that you could be an invisible vector of contagion. This means you could be feeling fine and showing no symptoms yet spreading the virus to people who might die from it. This is one of the reasons why it’s so important that you respect the CDC’s guidelines – even if you’re at a lower risk. If you have older relatives or loved ones who belong to the vulnerable class of people, you should consider doing their grocery shopping for them. Try to take care of any public errands they might have. It’s important that vulnerable people remain inside their houses and away from potential virus exposure. Understand that if you’re young and healthy, COVID-19 is anything but a death sentence. There’s a lot of fear swirling around right now and the horror stories can make you think that infection means dire straits for you. But this just isn’t true. Now is the time for the healthiest people to step up and fill the roles of those who are at risk.
If you’re already sick you should stay home and avoid contact with other people. Practice home isolation by limiting yourself to only one room in your house. You should limit contact with your pets because they can carry the virus and spread it to other people. If you must leave home to seek medical treatment, be sure to call your doctor and let them know you’re coming so that they can prep for it. A face mask can help you prevent spreading the virus to other people, but they are not effective at protecting you from becoming infected. You should cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow – avoid the use of your hands. Always remember to sanitize surfaces that might have been exposed to the virus. You can go back out in public when you meet all of the following criteria: you’ve had no fever for 72 hours without the use of fever reducers; and other symptoms have improved; and at least 7 days have passed since your first symptoms appeared.
Okay so that covers a lot of what the CDC has on this new virus. Now I want to talk to you about churches. I’ve seen that many of the larger churches are moving all of their services to online-only. The CDC has expressly prohibited being in a room with more than 10 people for any kind of social gathering. I think the large churches are doing the right thing by closing down their public in-person worship. The problem is many of the smaller churches have not followed suit. I can hardly blame them. Most of them do not have live-stream capabilities and they can’t survive multiple weekends of closed services. It really is a tragic situation. This virus appears tailor-made to crush small churches. But if you’re listening to this and you’re wondering whether you should go to church – I urge you to stay home. Join an online service somewhere or listen to a podcast.
Many of the people who are advocating that we carry on as usual when it comes to church services either haven’t made contact with the reality of this virus or are misunderstanding Scripture – or both. There’s been so much misinformation spread over this pandemic that many people no longer know what to believe and some still think it’s overblown. I would tell you to listen to the experts. Do your best to obey the CDC guidelines. The Scripture that is most commonly being misrepresented through this crisis is Psalm 91. Let’s read it and see what the problem is:
Psa 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psa 91:2 I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psa 91:3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
Psa 91:4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Psa 91:5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
Psa 91:6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Psa 91:7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
Psa 91:8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.
Psa 91:9 Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—
Psa 91:10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
Psa 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
Psa 91:12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
Psa 91:13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Psa 91:14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
Psa 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.
Psa 91:16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Some Christians are reading this and thinking that it means they will be protected from COVID-19. That is not what this Psalm means. Some pastors are using this Psalm as their proof-text for shaming their parishioners into coming to church against CDC guidelines. That’s a very unfortunate abuse of this Scripture. And we know that it’s an abuse of Scripture because Jesus Himself tells us it is in the gospel accounts. This is the same Scripture Satan quotes while he’s trying to manipulate Jesus into worshiping him. Listen to Luke’s account of the temptation of Jesus in Luke chapter 4:
Luk 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
Luk 4:2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
Luk 4:3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Luk 4:5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,
Luk 4:6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
Luk 4:7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’”
Luk 4:9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,
Luk 4:10 for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
Luk 4:11 and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Luk 4:12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Luk 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Satan tried to use Psalm 91 as proof-text that Christ could throw Himself down from the temple and God would protect Him. Jesus replied by telling Satan that you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. That means Psalm 91 is not an excuse to be reckless and unintelligent. It’s a misapprehension to believe that you can live as dangerously as you want and God will protect you until the moment you’re meant to die. It might very well be that the means God is using to protect you from COVID-19 are the CDC guidelines. If arrogantly stroll through crowds of people on the belief that God will prevent you from being infected, that is what it means to put the Lord your God to the test. And Jesus said not to do that.
I want to finish this episode by saying a few things about wisdom and fear. God does not give us a spirit of fear, so if you’re afraid of this virus then just know that you don’t have to be. You can respect the virus and walk wisely through this pandemic without being paralyzed by fear. If you’ve been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, then you can rejoice in the fact that even if things get bad – ultimately God will work them out for good. God is sovereign and this pandemic is not outside of His control. It didn’t take Him by surprise the way it did us. I urge you to take this time to get closer to God in prayer and in devotion. You don’t have to drink from the COVID-19 fire hose that the media is spraying everyone with. Just try to keep an eye on what the CDC is recommending for you. Most of all don’t allow panic to turn you against your neighbor. There is never a good reason to panic over anything. Panic is the enemy of wisdom and without wisdom everything becomes more difficult. Your primary command to love God and love your neighbor as yourself does not stop during an epidemic. The worst of humanity tends to come out when everyone is uncertain and afraid for their lives. But so does the best. We’re all in this together and all of us are worried – even though Jesus told us not to be. This is a tough time that is only going to grow more difficult. But God has a way of redeeming light out of the darkness.
vIf you enjoy this podcast, please rate it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to it. You can follow The MHB Podcast on Facebook or Twitter @mhbpodcast. Tell your friends about it and share it on social media. If you’d like email notifications of new episodes or if you’d like to support my work directly, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on my website at mhbpodcast.com. This work is made possible by listener support so your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you all for joining me, and I will see you in the next episode.
The MHB Podcast 