Date: 27 May 2003
Subject: SARS

Recently the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) has been in the news as it brings illness and in some instances death around the world.

In early March, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert about as it brings illness and in some instances death around the world.

In early March, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert about SARS, and it seems to be spreading. It is not yet quite certain what is causing it, though the smart money is on a virus, and the incubation period seems to be about 3-7 days. Treatment has been a bit hit-and-miss, because of the uncertainty. Most of those who have developed the symptoms have been in some prolonged contact with those with it, and it does not seem highly infectious. What may therefore be surprising is the reaction to the outbreak, and the rapid sale of face masks etc. In this instance the panic seems excessive to the actual threat, the virus (assuming this is what it is) seems to spread only in large droplets coughed out, and not as easily as general 'flu. However, it has underlined the problem that the World Health Organisation lacked any real power to insist that the outbreak (which was initially largely amongst hospital staff) was dealt with properly when the problem was containable. As with many such issue, a base problem is the reluctance of the US to be accountable to anyone (eg in giving the WHO rights to access and inspect procedures in any country at short notice in the event of a serious infections outbreak) - and if they refuse to sign a treaty it is often dead in the water.

In the Bible there may be instances of epidemics. For example, 2 Kings 19:35 sounds very like an epidemic. It could, of course, have been some kind of direct supernatural miraculous alteration in natural events, but if we think that it may have been an epidemic then this is not at all be to deny the biblical account, but to suggest that God may work through nature. Our modern world-view tends not to approach disasters like this, but to see natural causes as operating purposelessly. There are, here, issues for Christians to think through. Plainly illness is not to be seen purely as a punishment for specific sin. Wrong actions or lifestyles can, of course lead to suffering both for the person concerned and for others. The aids virus was spread through lifestyles which were largely through sexual or drug-use deviance from any Christian norm. Innocent babies, however, also suffer from the virus as a result of parental lifestyle, so we need to be very careful with any straightforward blame culture. When Jesus, moreover, was asked the cause of the affliction of blindness in one man he told his disciples that they were asking the wrong question (John 9:2). The real issue was what to do about it to bring God glory, not how it happened. What Christians should be doing is to work to give the WHO greater powers to actually act rather than only to advise. This is not talking "politics" it is about using the God-given knowledge of science to protect and enhance people's health. If the price of doing this is mutual accountability then it is not too high a price to pay.