Wesley hosts COVID Q&A to help dispel myths, share facts
LADSON—Wesley United Methodist Church hosted an informative question and answer session, “Navigating Fears with Facts about the Coronavirus,” Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Thirty-five persons attended the in-person and Zoom discussion facilitated by Dr. Thaddeus J. Bell, founder and CEO of Closing the Gap in Health Care Inc. Bell presented an update on COVID-19 while sharing lifesaving tips for preventing contact with and spreading of the coronavirus. He also dispelled common myths about who is vulnerable to infection, the proper way to wash one’s hands and who should get tested.
Bell noted that persons with pre-existing and underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity, are most susceptible to contracting the virus. At first, many believed that only the elderly could contract the virus; however, the truth is the virus does not discriminate regardless of age, race, creed or color.
Still, many believe that once a person contracts the virus, he or she can live happily ever after. Contrary to popular belief, the virus does not react to antibiotics. A person can acquire the virus a second time. Contact tracing is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and helps protect a person, his or her family and community.
As Bell said, contact tracing helps protect the person, his or her family and community by:
- Letting people know they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor their health for signs and symptoms of COVID-19;
- Helping people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 get tested; and
- Asking people to self-isolate if they have COVID-19 or self-quarantine if they are a close contact.
“The presentation served the overall purpose of the question-answer session,” said Dr. Carlton, J. McClam Sr., senior pastor of Wesley. “The knowledge shared will be helpful to us as we prepare to get our sanctuary ready for in-person worship.”
According to Enid Jenkins, one of the coordinators of this event, it was an excellent session and showed the church’s vision of forward thinking to provide knowledge to their members.
“The information sharing session with Dr. Bell was extremely educational and provided details to help us plan for re-entry back into the church,” Jenkins said. “He took it a step further to give us helpful tips about personal self-care that included making lifestyle changes to improve our health and emotional well-being during this difficult time.”
“The bottom line,” Bell said, “is that currently there is no cure for the virus. This virus has changed our way of living. Things will never be the same. Therefore, follow these steps: wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and definitely practice social distancing.”