Might as well call Covid-19 a pandemic, as:
- In China there are 80,859 confirmed cases, with 3100 deaths.
- Outside of China, 24,727 confirmed in 101 countries and 484 deaths.
- South Korea: 7134 cases, 50 deaths.
- Italy: 5883 cases, 234 deaths...but 16 million now quarantined, 25% of the population.
- Iran: 5823 cases, 145 deaths.
- Having learned a lesson from the Diamond Princess (696 cases, 7 deaths), "authorities" have decided to send the passengers of the Grand Princess (24 cases and one death) to military bases in California, Georgia and Texas to be quarantined.
However, there is no actual number existing for the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine whether Covid-19 "deserves" pandemic status. Here is a summary of these infestations:
- Endemic: a well contained serious infection in a specific region where deaths don't vary much from year to year, like schistosomiasis. How many of you realize that this disease:
- affects 252 million people and kills from 4,400 to 200,000 each year
- 700 million people in more than 70 countries live where this disease is common, and Hawaii is among those states so affected
- Outbreak: a sudden spike in transmissions in a localized region, like the Congo Ebola virus
- Epidemic: when an outbreak spreads across a wider area, as Ebola did from 2013 to 2016, and the current Covid-19. Incidentally, the latest Ebola outbreak killed 2,264 of 3,444 cases, with the last surviving patient being just released. They need a 42-day waiting period to declare the disease defeated.
- Pandemic: the H1N1 virus caused the Spanish Flu in 1918 and Swine Flu in 2009:
- Heart disease, which kills 15 million annually is not a pandemic because it is not infectious.
- Bet you don't know what is currently considered to be a pandemic? HIV/AIDS.
- The Black Death from 1331 to 1353 killed 75 million, which included a third of the European population. in the 1370's this disease killed 50% the population of England. It returned and reduced London's population by 20%. You must know that the cause was a bacterium carried by fleas living on Black Rats transported by ships.
- WHO declared the 2009 infection a pandemic in June because it spread worldwide and caused 18,500 confirmed deaths, going on to kill as many as 575,400 worldwide, and declared over in August of 2010.
- At one time WHO had a six-phase system that was used to declare the H1N1 2009 epidemic a pandemic. But no more:
In February 2020, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic clarified that, "there is no official category (for a pandemic)... For the sake of clarification, WHO does not use the old system of 6 phases — that ranged from phase 1 (no reports of animal influenza causing human infections) to phase 6 (a pandemic) — that some people may be familiar with from H1N1 in 2009."[2]
In the meantime, as this is Sunday, what does The Bible say about pandemics? The Old Testament described God bringing on plagues and diseases on His people and His enemies..so that they could witness his power. You would think that someone so omnipotent wouldn't need to revert to this sort of pestilence to gain respect. Something more positive and understanding would be advised. Anyway, were you aware that He plagued Egypt to free the Israelites from bondage (Exodus 12:13; 15:26)?
In the New Testament, Jesus (he was either the son of God or God himself--this is still being debated by theologians today) warns of coming plagues associated with the last days (Luke 21:11). More specifically, seven angels will wield seven plagues on Judgement Day. Is this fallen world now, actually, the end of times?
Well, so much for my sermon for this day.
I remember a year ago purchasing 10 facemasks at Daiso for $1. I still have nine of them. More recently, medical authorities have urged the masses not to use masks because they (doctors and staff) are at the frontline of Covid-19, and can't get them. And, they don't work all that well anyway. Well, the availability has improved. Called supply, demand and higher cost. The N-95 mask was once the gold standard. Now, N-99, and you can get it on sale at Ourtechnologyhome...for $19.99. According to their ad, this mask once went for $35.99.
So what will trigger WHO determining whether Covid-19 deserves pandemic status? Not sure. Still fewer deaths total over more than two months than die of traffic accidents DAILY: 3800. Also, 46,000 die daily from some heart ailment. Then, too, China apparently has Covid-19 now under control. Donald Trump is not worried, and keeps putting his foot in his mouth. He actually feels that this epidemic will help the U.S. economy, for his people will now stop traveling internationally.
-
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น