CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION EDUCATES PUBLIC ON DANGER OF DISEASE OUTBREAKS

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 a “pandemic,” which has since become a household word. But what became a global disease started as a local epidemic.

Ms. Caiyuan Jian said,"At first, when someone tested positive for COVID-19, I thought it was just an isolated case. Since I live in a rural area with fewer people, I wasn't too worried. However, as the news began reporting increasing numbers of infections and deaths daily, and people around me started testing positive, work was suspended. That's when I started to worry about the health and safety of myself and my family, fearing that I might also get infected."

According to the WHO, the escalation from epidemic to pandemic “underscored the importance of investing in systems to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.” Thus, on Dec. 27, 2020, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness was adopted by the United Nations and is now observed annually.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, who responded to the dangers of COVID-19 even before governmental restrictions were imposed, have long educated the public regarding the advantages of maintaining good hygiene in battling the devastating effects of diseases.

“Our organization endeavors to uphold the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness as promoted in the Bible,” says Yifan Wang, spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.“We’ve benefited by doing so, and our concern for others has motivated us for years to provide resources in print and online that the public can benefit from as well.”

One such resource is the No. 6 2016 issue of Awake!, titled “Disease — How to Reduce the Risk”. An article within,“Protect Yourself From Disease”, discusses five elements that can expose humans to infection: •Water. •Food. •Insects. •Animals. •People.

“My family and I reviewed this article when things started getting bad with COVID-19,” said Ms. Caiyuan Jian, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.“A lot of the information seems like common sense, but even a simple reminder—like not underestimating the benefits of handwashing, which is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of disease—was immensely helpful in keeping my family safe. The article also recommends that 'you cough or sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve, but not into your hands.’ Since then, this method has become a habit for me.”

In other areas where contaminated water may be a concern, the article explains that there are methods to treat the water at home to make it safe, such as chlorination, solar disinfection, filtration or boiling. It is advised to “store potable water in a closed vessel and dispense it hygienically with a clean ladle or through a tap.” And “never put your hands into a clean water supply.”

The public is encouraged to download this magazine from jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. All content is free, and no registration is required.

––––Yifan WangDirector of CommunicationsEmail： yiwang@jw.orgPhone：0939 652 002