COVID-19
COVID-19 or Coronavirus has impacted all of our lives in the last week.
The consensus among researchers studying the spread of the virus pinpoints COVID-19’s likely origin to a “wet market,” or live animal market, in Wuhan, China. Though experts have not ruled out the possibility that the pathogen could have been brought to the market by an already infected person, there is no evidence to suggest COVID-19 originated outside the country.
Researchers at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre published the genome of COVID-19 two weeks after cases were reported in late December 2019. Gene sequencing analysis strongly suggests the virus originated in bats and was transferred to humans through a yet-unidentified intermediary species.
The virus can cause pneumonia-like symptoms. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there can be organ failure. As this is viral pneumonia, antibiotics are of no use. The antiviral drugs we have against flu will not work. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system. Many of those who have died were already in poor health.
One of the best ways to slow the spread of an outbreak is by staying away from other people, which is also called “social distancing.” That gives a virus less opportunity to jump from person to person. So we have been asked not to go to big events, professional sports, and in some places, school for a while. Those measures help blunt the impact of an outbreak by slowing the virus. If fewer people get sick at once, it’s easier for healthcare providers to give everyone good care.
Things moved very fast over the weekend. We started getting emails and texts from the kid’s schools, the Governor, the Church, and Alayna’s volleyball club.
Walker is at CGCC and they have extended Spring Break for another week and depending on where things are after that they plan to go to online classes.
Eli and Alayna’s school district stated they are to stay home until further notice. They both have Chromebooks so it’s likely they may move to online classes if it extends for a long period of time. I’m not sure what the elementary school kids will do.
Dear Catalina Ward Family,
We hope this message finds you and your family well at this time of uncertainty. You’ve probably heard by now that all church meetings and activities have been temporarily suspended until further notice.
For ongoing updates regarding how COVID-19 is affecting the Church worldwide, please see the following: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/coronavirus-update-february-27-2020
During this time, we encourage you to continue or begin ministering to those you have been assigned in compassionate and loving ways. As you communicate frequently with them and seek personal revelation, you will know how to serve them as the Savior would.
As you visit others or gather in small groups, please make sure you are healthy and practice good hygiene to prevent any sicknesses from being spread.
We also encourage you to keep the Sabbath Day holy by using the additional time to engage in meaningful activities that draw you close to the Savior and allow you to serve others. This might include additional gospel study and discussions, family history and indexing, children and youth goals, and other worthwhile endeavors that take you out of the world and have eternal value.
Until we begin holding sacrament meeting again, all worthy Elders and Priests in our ward are authorized to administer the sacrament to their own family beginning this Sunday. Deacons and Teachers may assist according to the responsibilities of their office. In cases where there is not an Elder or Priest in the home, ministering brothers are authorized to administer the sacrament to their assigned families and should ensure that each family has this opportunity if desired. Priesthood holders should review the instructions in section 18.9 of the Handbook before administering the sacrament and follow the principles as closely as possible in a home setting. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/18-priesthood-ordinances-and-blessings?lang=eng#title_number27
We invite you to continue to prepare for general conference by immersing yourself in the Restoration and seeking to hear His voice.
We love you and pray you will continue to feel the Savior’s love for you in all things. No one in our ward is ever alone. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your ministering brothers and sisters or ward leaders for any help you may need.
Sincerely,
Bishop Schnepf
Brother Jones
Brother Murray
We were very surprised to get this email from our church. But at the same time I was excited to be able to continue to partake of the sacrament in our home. I will do a separate post about this.
All of this sort of bombarded us. No one thought this would happen in America. We heard it happening in China and Italy and I think ego and pride make it seem like America is untouchable. We are so connected globally now. Travel is easy. What happens in one part of the world affects all of us eventually.
Anxieties started to run high over the weekend especially since stores are starting to run empty of necessary commodities. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, water bottles, and soap are flying off shelves and nowhere to be found. Lines are long as people are lining up several hours before stores are opening. Seniors are having trouble getting what they need and because they are the most at risk they are rightly afraid and nervous to be out shopping for necessities. People are hoarding and it’s selfish and frustrating.
My own anxieties of course have been running high as well. This global pandemic is hitting every trigger for me as germs, getting sick, being hospitalized set off my PTSD.
I’ll admit it’s one thing to see pictures of empty shelves in stores but another thing entirely to be there and see it first hand. I felt like I was in some crazy movie!! The mood/feeling in the store was eerie. Thankfully, our pantry has most of the staples and I was able to get enough canned goods, bread, and eggs to get us through until the end of the month.
But over the years I’ve learned some things…..
I’ve learned to take a deep breath and remember all that I DO have! This panic mindset and picked over stores can make us feel we are living in scarcity. But we have SO much! Gratitude ALWAYS helps me battle anxiety and fear. 💛 Write down 5 things you are grateful for today! And do it again tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. It’s so simple it feels too easy to work. But it does!!
I have a strong testimony of gratitude. As soon as the fear and anxiety pick up I make a mental list of all I have to be grateful for and it dissolves those feelings quickly and I feel God’s peace trickle in and His hand cover me.
As of today’s writing I don’t know how long this social distancing will last. They boys got word last night that Joe’s BBQ where they work is closing the dining area and only serving through their take out window. Many other restaruants are doing the same. Jared is still going into work and I’m SOOO grateful his job hasn’t been affected negatively because of this. There are a lot of people out of work right now.
A good friend of ours who is a single mom and a dental hygienist posted in our Relief Society facebook page last night that The American Dental Association is shutting down all dental offices, except for emergencies, for 3 weeks. And she is looking at temporary positions. This just adds to all the stress for her and other families in her same situation.
Jared has actually been more busy creating cloud servers for work to help the demand for their world wide offices as employees are forced to work from home. Making sure they are able to log in and do everything they need to and have the technological support they need. It’s been a good thing for him. So I am counting our blessings for sure!!!!
I’ll keep you posted as we learn more. For now we are getting a little stir crazy, learning how to make creative meals out of what we have on hand, and trying to keep a positive attitude.
