Funmi Peter-Omale

By Funmi Peter-Omale/London

Don’t be complacent, enlighten yourself and be better informed. If you’re a wise person, or at least a bit clever, you’d know that one of the most powerful tools is information. Not misinformation (fake news or prejudiced information) or propaganda. Just pure, unadulterated, objective and educative information.

Understanding how Covid-19 can be contracted, is empowering. Because as they say, education is power. Information is even more powerful. (There are many educated people out there, they are busy churning out unverified information unfortunately).
This has got nothing to do with faith or spirituality. Of what use is faith or spirituality if one is not equipped or armed with the right information? It is complete jeopardy one is setting oneself for. If you know, you know. Nobody can take it from you. It’s like when you know your identity, nothing anyone says or do to you would shake you. You don’t need public approval, you don’t need strangers’ endorsement.
Psalm 23: “… But deliver us from all evils…” Any kind of sickness or challenge is evil and a result of succumbing to temptations and making poor choices. If your faith promises you that going through life is smooth sailing and perfect, then something is wrong.
Psalms 91:3 “Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.”

Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a department store in Seoul, South Korea, March 2, 2020. Photo credit: Yahoo

Lucidly, in this world, there’d be ‘fowler’ and ‘noisome pestilence’ (as in pandemic) but God has assured us He will definitely deliver us, and we shall not be overwhelmed. Hold on to your faith, pray and fast as you wish; but also respect regulations and laws aimed at stamping out the spread of Covid-19 disease.
Maybe, understanding how easily it can be contracted and spread, would help to know how our attitudes, habits and choices can make or mar us.
Below is an excerpts from an article from #YahooNews.

“The coronavirus can live on a surgical mask for 7 days, cloth for 2 days, and paper for 3 hours.
The coronavirus is primarily a respiratory illness, and it typically spreads via airborne droplets from an infected person’s coughs or sneezes.
Viral particles can survive for a time on surfaces, but the coronavirus’ lifespan on surfaces depends on various factors like temperature and humidity.”
The latest report,” suggests the coronavirus can last between three hours and seven days on surfaces, depending on the material.
The lifespan of the virus on a surface — a subway pole, a stairwell banister, or even money — depends on many factors, including the surrounding temperature, humidity, and type of surface.”
The researchers” tested the virus’ lifespan in a 71-degree Fahrenheit room at 65% relative humidity. After three hours, the virus had disappeared from printing and tissue paper. It took two days for it to leave from wood and cloth fabric. After four days, it was no longer detectable on glass or paper money. It lasted longest, seven days, on stainless steel and plastic.”
Ironically however, ” of all the materials they tested, the coronavirus lasted longest on the outer layer of a surgical mask. On day seven of their investigation, the virus was still present on the outward facing side of the mask.”

-Read more in yahoonews