STATEMENT FROM ADVENTIST HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION

By Kenlyn PetersUncategorized

STATEMENT FROM ADVENTIST HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ASSOCIATION

Regarding the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

Dear Brethren

Christian greetings!  As we acknowledge that we are indeed living in the end time and that Scriptures are fast fulfilling right before our very eyes, the Adventist Health Professionals Association (AHPA) takes this opportunity to share some reminders and vital information with you.

In collaboration with the Health Ministries Department of the Grenada Conference of SDA, this correspondence is intended to edify the membership.  This is not a time for panic nor inertia. Indeed, it is a time to be rightly informed as there are a lot of half-truths and fake news being spread on various forms of media.  Hence, the following information is compiled from credible sources/authorities on Health locally, regionally and internationally.

As a result of the continued spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and a new and updated threat assessment, the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Grenada has issued its/a travel advisory and is collaborating with all stakeholders (the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), all in an effort to reduce the likelihood of the presence and spread of this virus within our tri-island state.  The MOH is therefore encouraging citizens to take precautions and observe the following guidelines for all respiratory illness:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Practice respiratory hygiene – When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
  • Maintain social distancing – Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
  • If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
  • If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no travel history to or within China or other territories, carefully practice basic respiratory and hand hygiene and stay home until you are recovered, if possible.
  • Avoid consumption of raw or under-cooked animal products
  • Handle raw meat, milk or animal organs with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as per good food safety practices.
  • Stay healthy while travelling by only consuming foods that are well cooked, washing hands frequently, hydrating yourself and avoid close contact with persons who are coughing or sneezing.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
  • Stay informed – get information from reliable sources like CDC and WHO websites or your local radio/TV service.
  • Do not travel to China.
  • In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their healthcare provider.

We are reminded in Matthew 24: 6,7, 8 &13 “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet…and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.All these are the beginning of sorrows…But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Brethren let us not be ignorant, but let us make use of and share with our neighbors the information we have received.  More so, let us ‘look up for we know that our redemption draweth nigh.’

Maranatha!