Coronavirus and Diaconate, family preparedness and outreach

[NaphtaliPress]

Except for the prayer forum, moderators have had a moratorium on discussing the Coronavirus over concerns of panic and spreading false information. We will continue to moderate against panic, conspiracies and opinions on government response (go to news and other sites for those sorts of discussions). We do want to have a place to discuss practical matters on how the church can be prepared to help their families and communities via their regular means of outreach if the virus spreads to those they know.

What practical things should the diaconates and church families be doing to not only be prudently prepared themselves but be in a position to help other members and their communities when the virus spreads? Feel free to discuss that and related types of questions here.

 

[Seeking_Thy_Kingdom]

My wife is an RN and the induced media panic is driving her mad.

It is the flu, a bad flu but a flu nonetheless. Take the regular precautions and you reduce the risk of getting sick tremendously. Wash your hands with sanitizer, avoid being in contact with others.

If your Church has greeters, probably not a great idea to shake every persons hand walking in. Similarly goes for worshipers hugging and such to say hi, a nice warm distantly wave and a smile is best.

Depending on how widespread this becomes, and it will spread, unless you are either elderly or already have a frail health, I see no reason to skip Lords day worship. Skip going to the movies, or other large gatherings... but hang on to our precious time to gather as the people of God as long as we can.

Edit: Perhaps a hand sanitizer station at the entrance would be a good idea.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Maybe it's a good time for churches to set up some sort of conference calling or video, and have some practice runs, so that members can "meet" online in case that's needed. We do this already for mid-week prayer since we're scattered about geographically.

 

[Username3000]

I believe that churches in Washington State near Kirkland should be cancelling services already. Time for live-streaming.

During mass infection, what can a local congregation even do? We can’t provide ventilators, ECMO machines, or oxygen to the community.

I think it will have to be seeking to point those who are grieving to God, more than helping them physically.

 

[Tom Hart]

It is the flu, a bad flu but a flu nonetheless.

It is a bad flu, yes, but that is not the problem. It is incredibly contagious. Health officials here in South Korea have said that a person can be infected without showing symptoms for up to a week -- meanwhile the virus spreads in saliva (which is scattered when people talk or eat). It can also remain on a surface, like a table or a cardboard box, for nine days.

Take the regular precautions and you reduce the risk of getting sick tremendously. Wash your hands with sanitizer, avoid being in contact with others.

This is true. In a hard-hit area, this won't be as effective, but at this stage it can prevent the spread of the virus. I suspect that one reason it has got so far in China, and also in Korea, is that a lot of people don't wash their hands.

I see no reason to skip Lords day worship.

In the US, you're OK at the moment. Here the virus, spreading very fast, hit the neighbourhood of our church. In our little congregation we have elderly, sickly and very young members, and one pregnant woman. Church services have been cancelled for the time being, because this virus is clearly too dangerous to some more than others. Most of those who have died have had underlying health issues, and among the elderly the mortality rate is thought to be ten times higher than among the general population (so I have read on the BBC). (The WHO estimates the mortality rate to be between 2% and 5%. That's somewhere between one in fifty or one in twenty.)

For us it was thought too dangerous to continue Lord's Day worship, and any other meetings, since we don't yet know quite what this virus can do, but we do know it is highly contagious and sometimes deadly.


Re: the OP

Distributing information and health warnings to church members would be a good place to start, along with recommendations that potentially vulnerable people stay home.

Have hand sanitizer ready and plenty of soap in the washrooms. Put up a sign here and there to remind people to take regular flu season precautions.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Closing.