.:|"it's safer in Iraq..."|:.
that was a comment made by one of my co-workers. i laughed, because it was a joke... but then.. it's true. i have more chance of dying here from this SARS, or atypical pneumonia, then the war in Iraq. and that is what makes this whole thing so weird.
the just closed all schools for a week. ALL schools, pre-school right up to the universities. every clinic is also advised to shut down for a week, and anyone.. ANYONE who contracts SARS must have their office place AND home vacated and cleaned. Hong Kong is a major city... for those who have never been, trust me, it's VERY comparable to New York... can you imagine a virus so bad that New York would have close EVERY single school? that is the extent of the craziness.
i'm more worried than scared. tonight, Hong Kong largest sporting event, the World Cup Rugby 7's... with 40,000 people packed into the stadium, just decided to continue the event. this morning my office had another emergency meeting, that had an update on the safety measures that will be implemented in the office. here's why i'm so worried:
atypical pneumonia has a lifespan in the atmosphere between 5-8 hours. it is spread through bodily fluid, yet the Health Dept. has expressed that it isn't airborne... HOWEVER, there was a case that in a specific area in the projects of Hong Kong 3 different families contracted the virus FROM WAITING IN A LIFT LOBBY. so, if someone sneezes into their hands, or coughs, or spits, or SWEATS onto a handle bar, and if you somehow touch it, then you rub your eye, put your hands on your face within 5-8 hours... that's it.
a sneeze can travel, if unblocked, up to 15 meters. every member of my staff is within 15 metres of my desk. that's 11 other people. at the event tonight, one person could have over 150 people WITHIN them. one sneeze, a big one, a change of wind, and since the germs live for up to 8 hours.....
the incubation time is 5-8 days. it is contagious before you see the symptoms. can you believe that? you could have it, spread it, and before you even knew you had it, someone else has got it. this is actually worse than the movie outbreak, because in outbreak... it didn't' leave america... this has already travelled the world.
last night the bible study went really really well. some parts of the evening i planned to let God lead and i purposely didn't plan anything to leave God the maximum area to move and lead. on the whole i have never put some much effort into a bible study, and i've never been so blessed before just to see people involved.. to laugh and to be attentive during a bible study. we had the largest number ever.... 19. when i started coming we were solid at 4. that was less than a year ago. god is so cool.
anyways, at the end we got to pray... and then we couldn't help but pray for this whole SARS thing. here's my challenge.
we are Christian, and we know that the death is something to fear, because that only means i'll be joining Jesus in heaven, which by all accounts is not a bad thing. therefore, i will not and shall not live in fear. we as Christians aren't called be stupid, so i'll take precautions, but i will not live as though the enemy has a grip of fear on me. the Devil is also known as the Master of Lies... and i believe that not only is he the author of this whole epidemic, but he has also got a whole nation in panic and fear. how sad is that? i refuse to live in that fear.
i'm sorry to be so long winded, and so demanding, and so christian... but now is the time for christians to call on God. Last night i felt God wanting to say to my small group that NOW is the time to call on Him... he WANTS us to bring Him into this... we also prayed for all the christians to rise up in prayer and fight this. we don't use weapons of the world to fight... and this is not pertaining to Iraq, but here in HK.. so pray.. pray against the fear, pray against more death, pray for the leaders to make better decision, pray for the scientists who are looking for a cure...it's one thing to accept that this virus is very real and in my back yard...but it's another thing to let it beat us into submission... or cage us in fear.
anyways, i've said more than enough. take care and God bless.
coalition deaths in Iraq: 46
death from SARS in HK alone: 52
Iraq deaths: 150-800
quarantined people in HK: 1150
where is worse?
that was a comment made by one of my co-workers. i laughed, because it was a joke... but then.. it's true. i have more chance of dying here from this SARS, or atypical pneumonia, then the war in Iraq. and that is what makes this whole thing so weird.
the just closed all schools for a week. ALL schools, pre-school right up to the universities. every clinic is also advised to shut down for a week, and anyone.. ANYONE who contracts SARS must have their office place AND home vacated and cleaned. Hong Kong is a major city... for those who have never been, trust me, it's VERY comparable to New York... can you imagine a virus so bad that New York would have close EVERY single school? that is the extent of the craziness.
i'm more worried than scared. tonight, Hong Kong largest sporting event, the World Cup Rugby 7's... with 40,000 people packed into the stadium, just decided to continue the event. this morning my office had another emergency meeting, that had an update on the safety measures that will be implemented in the office. here's why i'm so worried:
atypical pneumonia has a lifespan in the atmosphere between 5-8 hours. it is spread through bodily fluid, yet the Health Dept. has expressed that it isn't airborne... HOWEVER, there was a case that in a specific area in the projects of Hong Kong 3 different families contracted the virus FROM WAITING IN A LIFT LOBBY. so, if someone sneezes into their hands, or coughs, or spits, or SWEATS onto a handle bar, and if you somehow touch it, then you rub your eye, put your hands on your face within 5-8 hours... that's it.
a sneeze can travel, if unblocked, up to 15 meters. every member of my staff is within 15 metres of my desk. that's 11 other people. at the event tonight, one person could have over 150 people WITHIN them. one sneeze, a big one, a change of wind, and since the germs live for up to 8 hours.....
the incubation time is 5-8 days. it is contagious before you see the symptoms. can you believe that? you could have it, spread it, and before you even knew you had it, someone else has got it. this is actually worse than the movie outbreak, because in outbreak... it didn't' leave america... this has already travelled the world.
last night the bible study went really really well. some parts of the evening i planned to let God lead and i purposely didn't plan anything to leave God the maximum area to move and lead. on the whole i have never put some much effort into a bible study, and i've never been so blessed before just to see people involved.. to laugh and to be attentive during a bible study. we had the largest number ever.... 19. when i started coming we were solid at 4. that was less than a year ago. god is so cool.
anyways, at the end we got to pray... and then we couldn't help but pray for this whole SARS thing. here's my challenge.
we are Christian, and we know that the death is something to fear, because that only means i'll be joining Jesus in heaven, which by all accounts is not a bad thing. therefore, i will not and shall not live in fear. we as Christians aren't called be stupid, so i'll take precautions, but i will not live as though the enemy has a grip of fear on me. the Devil is also known as the Master of Lies... and i believe that not only is he the author of this whole epidemic, but he has also got a whole nation in panic and fear. how sad is that? i refuse to live in that fear.
i'm sorry to be so long winded, and so demanding, and so christian... but now is the time for christians to call on God. Last night i felt God wanting to say to my small group that NOW is the time to call on Him... he WANTS us to bring Him into this... we also prayed for all the christians to rise up in prayer and fight this. we don't use weapons of the world to fight... and this is not pertaining to Iraq, but here in HK.. so pray.. pray against the fear, pray against more death, pray for the leaders to make better decision, pray for the scientists who are looking for a cure...it's one thing to accept that this virus is very real and in my back yard...but it's another thing to let it beat us into submission... or cage us in fear.
anyways, i've said more than enough. take care and God bless.
coalition deaths in Iraq: 46
death from SARS in HK alone: 52
Iraq deaths: 150-800
quarantined people in HK: 1150
where is worse?
Comments