Thursday, March 26, 2020

Are Our Efforts Sufficient to Stop the Coronvirus?


            The number of cases of COVID-19 and deaths continue to climb in the United States. This nation now has the most confirmed cases in the world, higher even than Italy or China. This situation could be the result of more tests being given or greater spread of the virus. Two members of my family indicated that they went for tests today. My sister works in a school lunchroom and my great-nephew is a nurse in a nursing home. We will not know the results for several days as is the case with many other people.


            On March 16, 2020, President Donald Trump a new program with the title “15 Days to Slow the Spread.” The initiative was put in place to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19. There were certain actions that the President asked Americans to take.


·         Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.


·         If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.


·         If your children are sick, keep them home. Contact your medical provider.


·         If someone in your household has tested positive for the Coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.


·         If you are an older American, stay home and away from other people.


·         If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition – such as a significant heart or lung problem – stay home and away from other people.


            These guidelines were in addition to recommendations to practice strict personal hygiene, wash hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, wipe down surfaces in the home often, and practice social distancing. The goal is to protect Americans of all ages but especially the most vulnerable segments of sick and/or elderly. Additionally, I used a Lysol wipe on all the groceries brought into my home and on all pieces of mail.


            My husband and I are now in our eleventh day of sheltering in place because we started on March 16. However, our governor asked Alaskans to shelter in place for two weeks beginning Sunday night, March 22. That two-week period will not end until April 5, and we may choose to shelter in place for extra time.


            I was hoping to see some changes in the trajectory of coronavirus cases, but that is not the case. Are the increasing numbers of people getting sick caused by them not sheltering in place, or were they infected before March 16? The answer is probably “both.” We may start seeing the numbers decrease now that spring breaks are over for college students, cities are closing places of recreation where crowds gathered, and more businesses are closing their doors. 


            We are told that symptoms start to appear sometime between three and fourteen days after infection. This leads me to believe that we will start seeing a decrease in cases about three days from now nationally but ten more days for the Alaska program. It stands to reason that the sooner people stay home, the sooner we can defeat the virus. So, STAY HOME!


            From the vantage point of my front balcony, it appears that my neighborhood is taking both the national “shelter in place” initiative and the Alaska “hunker down” program seriously. The quiet in my neighborhood reminds me of the quiet of the skies after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I see very few vehicles driving on my street and fewer individuals walking or playing. My husband and I took a short walk up the street this evening just to get some fresh air – our first time going further than the mailbox – and saw no vehicles or people on the street.


            President Russell M. Nelson has issued an invitation for all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to hold a day of fasting and prayer for the Lord’s blessings on the people of the world. He invited all non-members of the Church of Jesus Christ to join us if they wish and are healthy enough to fast. We can see from the evidence that mankind does not know how to stop the virus, but we know that God is all powerful and all knowledgeable. If we humble ourselves sufficiently and ask with faith in Jesus Christ, I know that God will bless us.

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