How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear? I cry out to Thee, “Violence!” Yet Thou dost not save.
Seems like forever we have been quarantined, wearing masks, wiping down our groceries, and acting like everyone around us has the plague. Is that what this is, a plague.
This bible quote is from the prophet Habakkuk. And like much of the bible, that whole chapter is written so that it easily applies to our life today. Northwest Arkansas is a hotspot. Last Thursday there were 234 cases in these few counties. A population of half a million? well I think it’s safe to say between 200-300 thousand anyway.
The point is it ain’t Dallas.
But the quote also mentions violence, and if you read on, you’ll find descriptions of people doing bad things, enemies beseiging, theives, corrupt businessmen. And we are plagued with these today too, especially the violent criminals infiltrating peaceful protests against the murder of George Floyd.
This isn’t a sermon. If you’re interested in the problem of evil, why, if there is a God, he allows bad things to happen, Habakuk might be a good book to study.
No this is a podcast about fitness, diet, and medicine. And the answer, of course (to the question How Long), is that we need to practice protective measures until Covid-19 is under control. When each case can be found early and treated as successfully as we seasonal flu viruses are.
The guidelines are:
1. Wash your hands often
2. Avoid close contact
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
4. Cover coughs and sneezes
5. Clean and disinfect
6. Monitor your health
There is a lot more detail at cdc.gov, I have a direct link in the show notes. Please read this and let the CDC be your source of information.
I was on YouTube recently listening to Sade, one of my favorite bands of all time. And an ad came on, apparently from the CDC, which said that you should only wear a mask if you are sick. This conflicts with what I just told you which is directly from the website. So I emailed the CDC about it and I am awaiting a response. But I think the YouTube ad was in error. The logic is that you could bring in an infection with the mask. I think the proper message is wash your cloth mask often, or use disposable masks only once.
Another small correction to some previous episodes in which I have mentioned animals. I assumed they could not get the COVID-19 virus. I have since learned (again, from the CDC website) that a small number of pets have tested positive for the virus. However, the risk of spread to humans from pets is low. Of course, there is plenty of information on this at cdc.gov. I’ll put a link in the notes. You might want to check this out if you have pets.
How long? Until Covid-19 is under control. And we will get it under control. We have faced such challenges before and we will prevail. And we must.
Because ALL lives matter.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
https://biblehub.com/habakkuk/1-2.htm
New American Standard Bible 1977
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/animals/pets-other-animals.html