Science Verses Religion - The Unspoken Biblical Association to the COVID-19

With confirmed cases of the Corona-virus worldwide now reaching 90,000, three thousand new cases in two days, and the United States finally seeing confirmed cases and unfortunately deaths, the biblical reference to a worldwide plague, hasn't escaped media.

Faith based websites, which many mainstream leaders refute as extremism except during an election year when the evangelical vote is courted and respected, have circulated rumors of the Corona-virus and its relationship to the end times. Many have written about and made a substantial living with attempts to interpret the exactness of the days, times, seasons and events of the last days.


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The Science of COVID-19

Unless one has lived under a rock or has been on an unplugged sabbatical or have simply ignored the news over the last two months, the science of the Corona-virus, the global effects as it spreads effecting nearly every nation in the world, has been well documented.

Each day, every media organization presents updates on the spread of COVID-19. The global crisis, its origins, the potential of unknown exposure, its randomness, not tied to gender, race, religion, or any ethnicity, a virus that spreads effortlessly, and can have an incubation period can be up to 27 days as the host remains A-symptomatic before the onset of symptoms.

And of course the quarantine stories and the possibility of a new normal that includes less community-oriented events, no large crowd involvement, at least in the near future and potentially for the 2020 year. Finally, the question "How will the Corona-virus end?"

How will COVID-19 End?

"It is increasingly likely that this virus will spread worldwide," said Aubree Gordon, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. "We still may have some chance to contain it, but that window does appear to be closing. If containment efforts fail and this indeed becomes a pandemic, "there are two ways that it could end," Gordon told Live Science. Either enough people will develop immunity — either through infection or vaccination — that the virus will stop transmitting and is eliminated, or the virus will continue to circulate and establish itself as a common respiratory virus," reports Live Science.


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The Religion of COVID-19

"The Corona-virus has been likened to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as well as cataclysms that will supposedly strike before the end of the world and the Messiah's second coming. Twitter user Alchemo A. Lozano said: "@kershaw_martin The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse representing War, Famine, Pestilence and Death as depicted in the Bible on Revelation 6:2-8 are most likely causing this coronavirus worldwide. We don't see them but we can feel their wrath everywhere,"' The Express reports.

In order to gain a cursory knowledge of the possibility of the Corona-virus having biblical proportions, becoming a global pandemic and potentially culling the population by one-third, the scripture, Revelation 6:2-8 of New International Version (NIV) seems to be the foundation  that should be reviewed as it is what many are basing this opinion.

From  biblegateway.com

Revelation 6:2-8:

V2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

This passage attests to an increase in literal and figurative killing. Of course, no one needs to be reminded of the increase in diabolical murders, and the increase in attempts to eliminate the body and remains through dismemberment, and other sheer evil methods and also figurative killing, mankind destroying each other through lies, slanders, circumventing, targeting, a convulsing of evil that regurgitates its venom through society.


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5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day's wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day's wages,[d] and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

This passage accounts for rising food prices leading to extreme poverty – and internationally, around 1.85 billion people, or 36% of the world's population, live in extreme poverty. Nearly half the population in developing countries live on less than $1.25 a day.

7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

Have we seen an increase in plagues? Not simply COVID-19, which sadly is yes, the plague of gun violence, plagues are not simply the closet at the CDC that houses every virus known to mankind.

Just a cursory review of each of these passages and the idea is clear that the possibility of a connection exists. Is the Corona-virus part of the Fourth Seal? It is a plague which could potentially kill a third of the population?


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Internationally, society in its entirety, has seen an increase in murders, an unleashing of the sword to kill, we have seen an increase in poverty, rising food prices, and finally the sad fact is yes, we have seen an increase in plagues.

Determined to Survive

Religion verses science. For those in the religious or scientific circles, or the millions in between, who are determined to survive this plague, until a vaccine becomes available, certain behaviors need to become habits.

Coughing, Sneezing - The number one transmission method.

Sneezing is the number one transmission pathway of the corona-virus. When individuals feel a sneeze coming on they should employee two methods to prevent spreading either in a tissue that is immediately thrown away or the preferred methods bending the arm at the elbow and covering the nose stopping the force of the particles from its cone spray.

"A study found that a sneeze's maximum velocity is nowhere near 100 meters per second but instead reaches a high of 4.5 meters per second, or 10 miles per hour. That's comparable to the velocity of air expelled by coughing—and a violent cough can push up a larger volume of air, which requires even more force. "The sneeze is really coming from your upper respiratory tract," says Julian Tang, a medical virologist at the Alberta Provincial Laboratory for Public Health in Edmonton, Popular Science reports.

Coughing - Again cover your mouth with your hand has been taught for decades as the correct method of prevention. Covering the expulsion of the cough with a tissue and immediately throwing the tissue in the trash is advised. Hands that come in contact with viral droplets from a cough need to be immediately sanitized and especially before touching the face. Tissues cannot be kept, stuffed into purse or pocket.

Hand washing, which shouldn't be a new thing, a 20 second, hand wash under warm water; Common household disinfectants will kill the virus on home surfaces, or in vehicles, or anywhere which has a surface. An increase in surface cleaning should combat the virus at home. Pick up a travel pack of Lysol or any surface disinfectant.

Crowds, for those who take public transportation, and contrary to advice, wear a mask, especially in contained spaces, flights, crowded subways, buses or in major cities where the space between people is limited. Any alcohol-based hand sanitizer will keep hands from passing on the virus.

Safe Zones – Families and family units should have a safe zone. The home has to become the safe zone and a contamination free area. If guests are common in the home, restrict to certain rooms, and thoroughly disinfect after any unknown person (its personal safety and a determination to survive without exposure, guests don't need to know) is invited into the home.

Schools, Churches, Large Scale events – Chances are large scale events are out for 2020. No concerts, theme parks, or any gathering greater than 5000 people. That is a government number, personally, the amount of people that can comfortably fit in a New York City Subway car is the total number for any gathering. So somewhere in the middle.

Movie theaters – Should be safe. The same wipe down of seat surface before touching the controls or resting hands or arms on the armrests. Using caution when determining the crowd-size one feels comfortable navigating.

Additionally, if media reports are true and those who have been infected in the United States and have subsequently died had preexisting conditions and weakened immune systems then countering the possibility of a weakened immune system for normally healthy individuals through Vitamin C or the method of choice is the responsibility of each citizen.

The intricacies of the virus are unknown, and with all describing flu like symptoms, stopping through any preventive measure the exposure to the contagion is the singular priority. 

Declare a personal war against COVID-19, know it, understand it, combat it, take strong preventive measures, enforce strong preventive measures, adapt to the needs, understand all the science and add the possibility of religion to create a balanced approach.

Finally, according to all sources, three to six feet of safe distance between any person exhibiting symptoms. If exposed be prepared to self-quarantine for 14 to 21 days. Be pro-active and determined to survive this plague without exposure.

Haute Tease