The Contagion of Fear

It is influenza season in Canada which means that even though many of us got our flu shot, lots of people will come down it, and some will die -- usually the very old, and those with compromised immune systems. An estimated 500 to 1,500 people die from the flu each year in Canada, and in January about 12,000 people have come down with influenza, with no reports on the number of deaths so far.

This puts into perspective the concern about coronavirus, which has developed in China and resulted in nearly two hundred deaths and infected thousands. Not surprisingly, given global travel, coronavirus has shown up in countries around the planet, including a couple of cases here in Canada. We have been subjected to incessant news and information stating that this is not a significant health risk here but in a variation on "if it bleeds it leads" we are dealing with "it is coughs it leads." The reality is that coronavirus is actually an umbrella term for a family of different viruses, everything from the common cold to the deadly SARS.

Some of us are thinking back to the last major infectious virus scare -- remember SARS? In 2003 there were 438 probable SARS cases reported in Canada including 44 deaths. I remember this time well, even though we were living in Halifax at the beginning of this significant health challenge and the risk was relatively low in that city. Just the same, our congregation chose to install hand sanitizer dispensers and a colleague was struggling because her elderly father in Ontario was in isolation in a hospital where she was not allowed to visit because of SARS. Sadly, he died without her being to see him in his final days.

When we moved back to Ontario that Fall there were strict protocols for clergy in terms of visiting congregants in hospitals and other institutions. For a brief period there was talk about restricting public gatherings, including church services. And denominations which celebrated the eucharist/communion with a common cup had to consider alternatives. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge beyond the efforts to contain the spread of SARS is the one we face now -- ignorance which results in fear. Already we've heard of Canadians with Chinese heritage who have never been to China who are facing discrimination from strangers. A parents' petition has started in one school board to require students with a Chinese background to stay home. Even though common flu is a far higher risk, this new "plague" has literally scared some people silly.

While we should all take reasonable precautions during flu season, including at church, we should remember how often our scriptures encourage us to "be not afraid" and that "perfect love casts out fear." With prayer and calm we will find our way through this, God being our helper.