Will This Be an Actual Pandemic?
It’s hard to know if we are over- or under-reacting to the coronavirus CoVid-19.
For years, the World Health Organization and other public health organizations have worried about the possibility that a new, highly-contagious, and deadly disease could spread quickly through our closely connected world. And it keeps not quite happening. First there was SARS and then MERS and then H1N1, none of which managed to be the worst combination possible. (Actually, first there was AIDS, which was utterly lethal though not air born contagious. Ebola was frightening and yet containable.)
Scientists call CoVid-19 a novel corona virus, as in new enough that humans have no immunity to it, and a vaccine is a year or more away. It is also contagious, perhaps as much or more than the flu. It is currently not clear what the death rate is or will be.
- There are good reasons that the WHO and others are very concerned about it and taking extreme measures to contain it.
- How bad will it be? Will it mean closure of public spaces – like schools and churches? Will there be quarantine orders?
- We can’t know, though this one seems serious enough to make plans for us to respond.
To that end, we have created a Coronavirus Response Team, including Jessie Austin, Melissa Ruiz, and Janice Frank who are all in the medical profession and represent the Safety Committee and Religious Education. Others on the team are Yukio Okano, Board member and Pastoral Associate; Worship Associate Sue Brinkmeyer, and Kitty Merrill from the Publicity Team.
For now, we are looking into ways for the church to be as safe as possible and considering how we will respond if there are closures and/or quarantines.
Even if this does not turn out to be “the Big One,” so to speak, it’s a good idea to be proactive. So, follow the suggestions below, and we’ll let you know plans as they develop. A good link for local information is http://www.vcemergency.com.
As always, we will be in this together, and we’ll find our way through together.
With love and caution,
Rev. Dana
Coronavirus and UU Ventura
As new cases of the coronavirus (CoVid-19) are reported in the United States and around the world, the congregation is called to education and caution.
Here are a few basic guidelines. We ask that you follow these precautions even if you yourself are not at risk, as many members of our community are at a high risk:
- Wash your hands frequently — use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Humming the tune of Come, Come Whoever You Are takes about 20 seconds.
- Sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow or a tissue, not your hand. Wash immediately after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Avoid touching your face, especially your mouth or nose or eyes, with unwashed hands.
- Regularly disinfect frequently touched surfaces, including keyboards, phones, elevator buttons, door knobs and light switches.
- Use hand sanitizer or hand wipes.
- Avoid close contact with individuals who are sick.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Greet others in non-physical or low-contact ways, especially during coffee hour.
UU Ventura will follow best practices as recommended by health authorities. Sections of our service may be changed to reduce the spread of germs. Hygiene practices in our kids’ programs are being increased. If the suspension of large gatherings is recommended, we may suspend services and other programming, or they may be live-streamed.