Dr. Cynthia Salter-Lewis Shares How FACTS & FAITH Work Together to Reduce Your Coronavirus Fears

Dr. Cynthia Salter-Lewis

Many of you know and have often used the scripture found in 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 

God has given us a sound mind which allows us to think clearly as we navigate through this most difficult time.  One key component of navigation is relying on the truth. The truth means everything to God and it should to us as well. 

Everyday, we are learning more about the COVID-19 Coronavirus. With new facts there is also lots of misinformation which unfortunately, gets repeated. This, in turn, causes people to make ill-informed decisions concerning the virus. This kind of behavior embraces a spirit of fear and misses the revelation about having a sound mind.

I’ve been approached with many concerns and questions and I want to answer them publicly in hopes that you will share with your family, friends and co-workers.  I believe knowing the facts will help you remain safe and healthy, and it will allow you to embrace a sound mind.

Is it true that African-Americans and other people of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19?

Yes. Unfortunately, early on the the African-American community was misinformed and circulated the myth that we were impervious to COVID-19.  This could not be further from the truth. In some areas, African-Americans have accounted for 40-70% of COVID-19 deaths. The death rate is certainly higher in our community. Reasons for this include us living in high-density areas, misinformation early on, the disparity in health care, and, most of all, higher instances of comorbid diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart and lung disease. 

I heard the Corona-virus can attach to your hair. Is this true?

Absolutely.  Hair serves as a fomite to which the virus can attach.  A fomite is anything that the virus can attach to that can be used as a vehicle to spread itself. For example, if COVID-19 gets in your hair, when you touch your face you can transmit the virus to yourself.  So when you are running errands or at the grocery store, you should wear a hat or other head covering so that if someone coughs or sneezes, the viral respiratory droplets won’t get in your hair. If this happens, please wash your hair immediately.

Can the virus be transmitted from door handles and cell phones?

The bottom line is that high-touch objects like cell phones, door handles, elevator buttons, light switches, faucets, etc., can all serve as fomites for the virus. Even an ink pen serves as a powerful fomite to transmit the virus.  That’s why you must continuously wipe and disinfect all high-touch objects as often as possible. NEVER use anyone else’s pen during this time.

How long is the virus stable on surfaces?

It depends on the surface in question.  There was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 17, 2020 that evaluated this concern. It found that the virus can remain stable for days depending on the surface or the object. For example, COVID-19 lives 3 hours on paper, 4 hours on cooper, 24 hours on cardboard, 48 hours on stainless steel or wood, and 72 hours on plastic. Other studies have shown that the virus also lives on porous things like money and clothes. However, thus far, the duration varies from study to study.

WE MUST remind ourselves to regularly wipe down counter tops with soap, disinfectant, or bleach. Spray your cardboard boxes with Lysol when they get delivered and wash clothes often - especially any outfit that you wear out of the house. Lastly, if someone hands you a piece of paper, sanitize or wash your hands immediately. AVOID touching your face at all costs because that’s how the virus enters.

All of the hand sanitizers are gone from the stores, what should I do?

The good thing is that COVID-19 can be easily destroyed by the action of germ sanitizer, pure alcohol, detergent, or even soap. If the stores are out of alcohol-based sanitizers, wipe your surfaces and wash your hands with any of the other cleaners I listed above. Plain water will not destroy the virus. However, the mechanical motion of washing your hands adds to the destruction of the virus when used with soap. That’s why you must perform the mechanical motion of hand washing for at least 20 seconds. Most people wash only the palm of their hands. Don’t forget to also wash the back of your hands, between your fingers , and your wrist. You should be able to cover all of these areas in 20 seconds.

How should I protect myself when leaving the house?

Always wear a face-covering when leaving the house. Even if you don’t have a mask, a scarf or face covering should be secured over the top and to the bridge of the nose. It has been found that you can literally catch or spread COVID-19 approximately 2 feet with just talking/breathing. So we now know that COVID-19 can be transmitted without even coughing or sneezing. Currently, our care pastors, Dan and Graham, are leading an effort to send a couple of masks to each household. I will ensure they are properly sanitized and packaged and will give instructions in a later post on how to clean and reuse your mask.

You should also wear gloves. However, be careful because gloves can give you a false sense of security, especially if you touch your face a lot. Therefore, as you are handling items, you need to continually use a sanitizer even on your gloves throughout your shopping.

How do I remove my gloves without getting contaminated?

Most individuals who are not medically trained to remove gloves do so in a contaminated way. However, there is no need to worry because whenever you remove your gloves, ALWAYS immediately wash or sanitize your hands thoroughly. This will destroy any viral particles that may be on your hand from improper glove removal.

I hope these tips help ease your fears!

God Bless You,

Dr. Cynthia Salter-Lewis

A Coronavirus Update From Bishop De'Andre Salter

Dear Impact Family,

It’s been quite a week! I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to update you on what’s happening as we navigate the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in this part of the world, which we call home.

First of all, I want to say how proud I am of this church family. The faith, unity and hope you continue to show are second to none. As we continue to study the first century church in Rome we are being given the best opportunity to live out the Word and allow our faith to become famous in this region. This is not a time for panic, but a time to be repositioned in faith and share our hope.

As you know, Governor Murphy has recommended that organizations suspend gatherings with over 250 people to help control the spread of COVID-19. We care about your spiritual and physical health, so we will move our services to an online-only offering for the next two weeks.

We have always dreamed about how an online campus could help more people hear the Good News of Jesus and take the next step in their faith.  What we didn’t know then was that God was preparing us for this moment when we would be called on to adapt how we do church together, meeting the needs of our community and reaching the hearts of our neighbors. So, here’s what’s coming next.

Online-Only Sunday Services

This Sunday, March 15th, our services will be held online only. Service times will remain the same at 8:30am and 10:30am. Our hope is to gather together at our South Plainfield campus as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we will continue to learn and grow by worshipping in our homes with friends and family. Remember, the church in Rome grew their faith in their homes. They had no public place to worship and no technology to keep them assembled. We have greater, so I fully expect our faith will be made famous in this season.

Since this is a “soft-launch”, tomorrow’s service will feature a Word from the Lord that I have for you and a time for us to connect through prayer. Then, on Sunday, March 22nd we will broadcast a full service including which will include worship.

To watch the livestream on our website, church4impact.churchonline.org.

Mid-Week Programs

Since our midweek programs traditionally follow local school district schedules, we are suspending all on-campus ministries for the next two weeks. We will evaluate this decision week to week as the situation around the outbreak continues to unfold.  In the meantime, we will be providing alternative ways for you to grow closer to God and learn more about Him. 

5 Ways You Can Help:

1. Post - Use social media in a good way to post things that return people to hope. Avoid reposting and texting articles that might lead people to panic and worry. Click here for a helpful guide about ministering during a crisis put together by our Presiding Bishop, Kenneth Ulmer.

2. Pray – Pray for those impacted by the virus, as well as their families and loved ones. Now, more than ever, you need to join our Wednesday Night Prayer Call at 7pm, to connect with family and friends and receive a prayer of hope and deliverance. You can do so by dialing (712) 775-7035 and using the access code 827217#

3. Give – Even though we’re not gathering in-person for church, you still have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others by giving your tithes and offerings through our giving page. Thanks in advance for practicing radical generosity.

4. Serve – We’ve been praying and thinking about ways we can be there for our neighbors during this outbreak. In the coming weeks, we’re looking to minister to frontline healthcare professionals at local hospitals, and seniors without resources. We will send specific details about these community outreach projects at a later date.

5. Be Wise - I know we walk in faith, but remember that biblical faith and wisdom never conflict. The opposite of panic is prudence. Therefore, please honor public health guidelines at work, home, and church. The state has posted guidelines to help identify if you or any of your family members are symptomatic of coronavirus . You should contact the state call center at 1-800-222-1222 or, if in NJ but using a non-NJ cell phone, at 1-800-962-1253. The call center is available 24/7 and can accommodate calls in multiple languages.

Questions or concerns?

If you’d like to share your thoughts, concerns, questions, and ideas with us as we navigate our response to this situation, we’d love to hear from you. Your input and feedback are truly important to us. Please email info@church4impact.com with any questions or comments.

Final Thoughts

Even though our world has changed, the power of God has not changed. The truth of Scripture has not changed. The hope of Jesus has not changed. Our mission as a church has not changed. Let us not give in to fear.

While we cannot control the virus, the spread, or the impact it has in our church, we’re doing everything we can to make our campus as safe and clean as possible. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to help us do just that. We must also remember that God has not called us to live in fear, but in faith. As the Apostle, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit of God does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” My prayer is that God will fill all of us with these three gifts, no matter what comes our way.

In Christ,

Bishop De’Andre Salter