*Update March 11, 2020: The situation now appears far more serious and I have an updated post on this.**

Folks are very concerned about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. New diseases are scary, so I understand the concern, and certainly the possibility of a worldwide devastating epidemic of something like Ebola or similar can be terrifying. However, I wanted to pass on a couple of quick thoughts – including the fact that this, so far, does not appear to be one of those epidemics that ought to be especially terrifying.

COVID infographic

First, a colleague just shared a helpful infographic from the JAMA network contrasting COVID-19 with the flu; so far at least, it looks like we ought to be much more concerned about the flu than COVID-19. It’s scary because it’s new, but the data so far indicates the flu is worse. Yes, there’s still some uncertainty – but even if the situation in China is far worse than we know so far, it seems like the flu may be a greater concern.

Second, this article from the Atlantic argues we all will likely get the Coronavirus, and for most of us, it won’t be that severe. I think they’re probably right. The article is worth reading. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take reasonable precautions like washing hands, staying way from others if we’re sick, et., but it’s good to keep perspective.

It seems like what we’re dealing with is a virus that can be severe in some cases, but often isn’t. A couple of years ago, my youngest daughter had RSV, a virus almost everyone has had as a child. In rare cases it is severe, and it was in her case; she had to spend about two days in the ICU on oxygen and it was one of the most terrifying experiences to go through as a parent. I certainly hope I never again have to watch my child near death in my arms suffering from lack of oxygen. Such things are horrible for those who go through them, and, in this present epidemic, we should exercise care, but we don’t need to panic.

Overall, let’s not panic, but let’s also exercise reasonable care about illness. As two ditch theory suggests, we could err in both directions. Neither would be wise. Life goes on, and we need to not cut ourselves off from society out of fear of infection – but it is reasonable to exercise some caution.

Finally, if we are Christians, we can trust to the great promises of Romans 8:28f – that God works all things for the ultimate, eternal good of those who love him. While worldwide epidemics are terrible, and they seem especially so to us if they touch those we love, they do not overcome God’s promises or mean he is not trustworthy. So let’s remember that and cast our cares and concerns on God, so that we have peace and are able to shine as lights in the midst of this time of great concern.

Other posts in this series: