As empty shelves appear in our social media feeds and in our local retailers, it’s easy to sense the apprehension and fear surrounding the threat of the coronavirus. Knowing how many lives it has taken, how quickly it has taken them, the fact that there is no vaccine and the seeming inability to stop the virus has put many in a state of uneasiness. However, is it really as bad as it seems? How should Christians respond?
At least 93,126 cases have been confirmed, with 3,198 deaths worldwide. In the US, there are over 100 cases, and at least 9 have died. But, let’s take a deeper look at the facts. Who is likely to pass away from this new virus?
A Business Insider chart shows how likely it is someone would pass away from the virus at different age brackets. A .2% chance is recorded for those ages 10 through 29, and the chances increase to .4% in ages 40 to 49. Then, chances increase, with a 14.8% chance in ages 80 or older. But that’s for those who contract the virus.
A video from the WHO described the differences between the flu and the coronavirus. With the coronavirus, there’s a 3.4% chance of death, but with the flu, it’s less than 1%. That’s because more treatments are available for the flu and more people have built up an immunity to it. Still, the speaker shared some encouraging news that the coronavirus doesn’t transmit as effectively as the flu and containment is possible. China has seen a slowdown in new cases, the lowest since the outbreak began.
Keeping perspective
Though the threat of the coronavirus seems ominous, (mostly because it is unknown), it’s important to keep things in perspective. There are so many more people who die daily from ailments with which we are more familiar. Seventy-four percent of all deaths arise from the 10 most common causes below.
Consider these causes of death annually in the US:
Approximately 7,452 people die in the US every single day. With these kinds of numbers, it’s far more likely you’d be taken by one of these above causes. In fact, with 327 million people living in the US, you’re more likely to win the lottery than die from the coronavirus!
SOURCE: Christian Post, Charis Brown
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