H1N1....What else???

H1N1 is now already in pandemic state. In our nation alone, we are seeing death rate increasing day after day. Based on World Health Organization(WHO) report on 27th July 2009, over 134503 people worldwide are infected so far but they do have a footprint message that states "Given that countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the number of cases reported actually understates the real number of cases".

Our world today is so interconnected that even the threat of a pandemic causes immediate community reactions. How often have we seen schools and higher learning institution being closed for a period of time due to flu?

Three influenza pandemics occurred in the past century. The Spanish flu in 1918-19 was terribly virulent and deadly, affecting half the world's population. The estimates of the number killed range from 20 to 100 million worldwide. The Asian flu in 1957-58 caused 70,000 deaths, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968-69 caused 33,000 deaths.

Fear of a disease pandemic can paralyze a nation more completely than a large natural disaster confined to one area. Because all parts of advanced societies are interconnected and interdependent, there is the domino effect. A breakdown in one area hurts many other area

As everyone is putting effort to stop the spread of H1N1 and also to find some vaccine to prevent it, there is another plague starting in a remote area in China. The Malaysian Insider reports that a remote town in China’s far north-west has been sealed off after an outbreak of pneumonic plague claimed a second victim in days. In fact the health official in China said that the plague outbreak may prove deadlier than SARS or Influenza A (H1N1).

So what can you do? Do your best to stay in good health and practice all the usual safety precautions for avoiding contagious diseases. But the most important thing you can do is to have faith in God and rely on Him to be your Protector and Savior. God has promised blessings, including protection, for those who love and obey Him. Consider the reassuring words of Psalm 91 that describe how God is able to protect those who obey Him from the heart in all circumstances:

"Surely He shall deliver you...from the perilous pestilence… You shall not be afraid...of the pestilence... A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you… No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling" (Psalm 91:3-10)