Coronavirus Preparedness

UPDATE: Ginter Park Baptist Church has suspended all in-person activities.

The health and wellbeing of our community is our highest priority. Therefore, we are actively monitoring updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and will continue to respond based on the best advice from our local officials, public health authorities, and medical professionals.

Whatever decisions are made, we are dependent on each of us complying with best practices and not attending if sick or concerned about our own possible exposure. With that in mind, here is some information you may find helpful about how the virus spreads, what you can do to minimize risk to yourself and others, as well as links to other resources that are being continually updated. While it is important not to panic, it is also important to take this seriously and take sensible precautions.

Background

The novel coronavirus that first emerged in Wuhan, China late last year has quickly spread around the globe, with the first case reported in the U.S. on Jan. 20. The virus can lead to a disease dubbed COVID-19, marked by respiratory problems that are usually mild (coughing, fever) but can be severe (pneumonia, trouble breathing)—especially in older adults and in people with underlying health conditions. As of this writing, Virginia has 17 presumptive positive cases of COVID-19.

How It Spreads

COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus which is spread person-to-person by:

Droplets from coughs and sneezes of an infected person
Touching surfaces contaminated with the virus (it can live for hours or days, depending on the surface and the temperature) and then touching one’s eyes, nose or mouth where the virus can enter the body
Aerosols – tiny liquid droplets that can linger in the air over time and distance – are now suspected of also being able to spread the virus by lingering in a room, or traveling through air ventilation systems.

How To Stay Safe (and Keep Others Safe)

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If (and only if) soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Yes, you can sing “Happy Birthday” twice to help mark 20 seconds of hand washing, or you can sing the chorus of any of these songs:
- “Raspberry Beret” by Prince
- “Jolene” by Dolly Parton
- “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club
- “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
- “Never Gone Give You Up” by Rick Astley
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue is not available, use your upper sleeve.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Wash your hands!! especially after coughing and sneezing, before and after caring for an ill person, and before preparing foods and before eating.
Avoid close contact, including handshakes and hugging.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.
The CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask to protect against the virus but does recommend facemasks for those infected.
Get adequate rest and maintain healthy lifestyles (e.g. proper nutrition, exercise) to help ensure health.
Stay home when you are sick, except when you need to get medical care.
Wash. Your. Hands.

Care & Support

If you are in need of support during this time, please do not hesitate to call the church office and describe how you think we can be of support to you. If you become quarantined with the virus, others in our GPBC community may be able to help shop or bring other resources to you. Remember when stocking up on food to also stock up on over-the-counter medicines and other essentials (but don’t hoard!) and fill all your prescription refills.

Resources

Here are several resources that can help answer any questions you have about COVID-19 and its impact at the national, state, and local levels. The last item on the list is an excellent resource to help children understand the coronavirus and the disease it causes.

Prayer

Holy, Gracious, Loving God; Our times are in your hands, and these times have brought us to a strange moment. We read the news. We hear the stories. We know of people who have either tested positive for the Coronavirus or have been in a room with people who have tested positive. And we wonder. We know that there is fear out there, and we ask you to help us to turn this fear, our fear, into an opportunity for your love. We pray for all who have been affected by this illness, for those who are afraid, for all healthcare workers, for our hospital system, for all leaders who are making decisions that affect their people. Guide us all, because we haven’t done this before and we are figuring out how to do it as we are doing it. Lead us, bless us, fill us with your peace and with your presence, so that our faith may always exceed our fear, and that we may be a part of the healing work that you are doing. And we pray it all in Jesus’ name. Amen.

~ from The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

Published by Sheryl Johnson on March 12, 2020March 12, 2020