Dr. Bilal A. Bhat, Intizar Ahmad
People around the world are avoiding crowded places, cutting back on inessential travel and taking precautionary measures such as working from home to avoid catching the new virus, corona virus. Several countries have also urged their citizens to change the way they greet one another, or celebrate certain festivities. On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern external icon” (PHEIC). On January 31, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. On March 11, WHO publicly external icon characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. On March 13, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency external icon. Corona viruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal corona viruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus (named SARS-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a beta corona virus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir. Early on, many of the patients at the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Some international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as do some parts of the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. The complete clinical picture with regard to COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. While information so far suggests that most COVID-19 illness is mild, a report external icon out of China suggests serious illness occurs in 16% of cases. Older people and people of all ages with severe chronic medical conditions — like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example — seem to be at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness. A pandemic is a global outbreak of disease. Pandemics happen when a new virus emerges to infect people and can spread between people sustainably. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus, it spreads worldwide. The virus that causes COVID-19 is infecting people and spreading easily from person-to-person. Cases have been detected in most countries worldwide and community spread is being detected in a growing number of countries. On March 11, the COVID-19 outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the WHO external icon. This is the first pandemic known to be caused by the emergence of a new corona virus. In the past century, there have been four pandemics caused by the emergence of novel influenza viruses. As a result, most research and guidance around pandemics is specific to influenza, but the same premises can be applied to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics of respiratory disease follow a certain progression outlined in a “Pandemic Intervals Framework.” Pandemics begin with an investigation phase, followed by recognition, initiation, and acceleration phases. The peak of illnesses occurs at the end of the acceleration phase, which is followed by a deceleration phase, during which there is a decrease in illnesses. Different countries can be in different phases of the pandemic at any point in time and different parts of the same country can also be in different phases of a pandemic. There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available. Different parts of the country are seeing different levels of COVID-19 activity. The United States nationally is currently in the initiation phases, but states where community spread is occurring are in the acceleration phase. The duration and severity of each phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response. Risk depends on characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccines or medications that can treat the illness) and the relative success of these. In the absence of vaccine or treatment medications, non pharmaceutical interventions become the most important response strategy. These are community interventions that can reduce the impact of disease. The risk from COVID-19 to Americans can be broken down into risk of exposure versus risk of serious illness and death. The immediate risk of being exposed to this virus is still low for most Americans, but as the outbreak expands, that risk will increase. Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in a growing number of states. People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with the level of risk dependent on the location.
“He who runs away from the place of the plague is like the one running away from fighting in the cause of Allah and he who forbears it and stays where he is, he will be rewarded with the reward of a martyr.” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure. Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure. Travellers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with level of risk dependent on where they travelled. Risk of Severe Illness: Early information out of China, where COVID-19 first started, shows that some people are at higher risk of getting very sick from this illness. This includes: Older adults, with risk increasing by age. People who have serious chronic medical conditions like: Heart disease, Diabetes & Lung disease. More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the United States in the coming days, including more instances of community spread. CDC expects that widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur. In the coming months, most of the U.S. population will be exposed to this virus. Widespread transmission of COVID-19 could translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, and workplaces, may experience more absenteeism. Mass gatherings may be sparsely attended or postponed. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected. Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it. Non pharmaceutical interventions will be the most important response strategy to try to delay the spread of the virus and reduce the impact of disease. Global efforts at this time are focused concurrently on lessening the spread and impact of this virus. The federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, as well as public health partners, to respond to this public health threat. CDC is implementing its pandemic preparedness and response plans, working on multiple fronts, including providing specific guidance on measures to prepare communities to respond to local spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. There is an abundance of pandemic guidance developed in anticipation of an influenza pandemic that is being adapted for a potential COVID-19 pandemic. Religious authorities, meanwhile, are advising people how to pray or mark holy days without risking spreading COVID-19 further. The virus, which originated in China, has so far infected more than 221,200 people globally and killed more than 9,000. In recent years, health professionals around the world have become increasingly concerned with the spread of infectious diseases. Islam is a holistic belief system and it takes into account the physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of individuals and societies. Although care of the individual is important, safeguarding communities, including its weakest members, is of paramount importance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.” (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.) Modern science now understands the ways in which microorganisms multiply and the diseases they cause. Scientists affirm that healthy people who have no symptoms in the place of plague are already carrying the microbe and so they represent a real threat because they may transfer the plague to another place if they move to it. Thus, this system of quarantine, in which all the people of the city that suffers from plague are prevented from leaving, and visitors are also prevented from entering, has now been established worldwide. In the 15th century, plague hit Europe causing the death of a quarter of its citizens. At that time, plagues and contagious diseases were much less in the Muslim world. At the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as well as before and after his time until Pasteur managed to discover the existence of microbes, people used to think that diseases were caused by devils, demons, and stars. That is they were not related to cleanliness or certain behaviors; thus, they resorted to sorcery and magic as a remedy. In such an environment, the Prophet (peace be upon him) established the system of quarantine which is considered the basis of modern preventative medicine after the discovery of the microbes that cause diseases and plagues. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) ordered his Companions: “If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place.” In order to make sure that his order would be carried out properly, he (peace be upon him) established a wall around the area of the plague and promised those who are patient and stay in the area of the plague with the reward of the martyrs, and those who run away from it were promised doom and perdition. Thus, he (peace be upon him) said: “He who runs away from the place of the plague is like the one running away from fighting in the cause of Allah and he who forbears it and stays where he is, he will be rewarded with the reward of a martyr.” If a healthy person was asked two hundred years ago to stay with the sick people in a plague area, he would have considered this some kind of nonsense and in response to his desire to live he would have run away to another place. Only Muslims did not run away and leave at the time of plague in compliance with the order of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Non-Muslims mocked them for this act until it was later discovered that those who appear to be healthy with no symptoms, are the germ carriers who might transfer the plague to another place if they moved to it. They would move freely and mingle with healthy people, so they might cause them to catch the disease. Who told the Prophet (peace be upon him) this fact? Could a human being know something like this fourteen centuries ago, or is it revelation from the All-Knowing, the Almighty Allah. Allah, the Almighty, says: in the Noble Qur’an, Surat An-Naml, Verse 93 And say, “[All] praise is [due] to Allah. He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them. And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.” People all over the world are scared of the outbreak of corona virus that initially attacks the respiratory system in human body and cause illness. Recently the corona virus has been identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Chinese authorities identified the new corona virus, which has resulted in thousands confirmed cases in China. In addition, many more people have been diagnosed with the infection in other countries. According to experts, the source of corona virus is originally bat and snake, and both in Islam are forbidden to eat. Islam permits to consume only pure and good food and drink. The practice of ablution in Islam is a pre-condition for every Muslim man and woman before each of five daily prayers in the day and night. Wudhu in Islam refers to washing the face, arms, head and feet with clean water. In Wudhu, mouth and nostrils are also cleansed with water and head is wiped. It is called ablution and it is obligatory before prayer or similar worship acts. Full body bath after sexual intercourse for both; man and woman is obligatory, and after the end of postpartum bleeding and menstruation is necessary for woman in Islam. It wonders on reading two Prophetic Hadiths about the plague that instruct not to flee from the land infected with plague and not enter it. Of course the Hadith is not limited to the plague itself, but includes every contagious disease and germs that may move through the air and can pollute the atmosphere and can spread around, including corona virus. The Prophet of Allah (may peace of Allah and His blessings be upon him) said: The one who flees from the plague (infected territory) is like a fugitive from war, but whoever shows patience in that deserves a martyr’s reward. (Reported by Imam Ahmad in Musnad) Quarantine in medical term is restraining people’s connections and transporting animals to prevent the spread of diseases or pests. If we understand the goal of the Hadith and wisdom behind we become more satisfied that the instruction of the Hadith is to control the cause of the disease and limit it to its originating area.
Medical Science has advanced in the modern era and microorganisms and bacteria have been discovered and identified now and experts knew how do they multiply and spread and cause diseases and epidemics. Modern medical science has revealed that healthy people in the land of the epidemic who do not have any visible symptoms of the disease may carry within them diseases virus and will transfer the epidemic to other territories if they move to them. Therefore the quarantine system has been introduced globally, in which all residents of the infected city are prevented from leaving or entering. The Messenger of Allah (May peace of Allah and His blessings be upon him) has guided through the Hadith to a basic and miraculous instruction on prevention from the viruses that has been later considered one of the basics of the modern preventive medicine after the discovery of microbes and virus. Suppose, if it was said to a healthy person only two hundred years ago, when he saw people around him dying of the epidemic and he was healthy and strong to flee from the territory, if he was asked to stay there, the suggestion would have been considered contrary to the wisdom and logic. But now, after it has been discovered that some healthy people may not show symptoms of the disease in the epidemic area may be carrying within their bodies some virus that may appear later and can infect the people around if they move to another land or area. That is why the quarantine system has been introduced in modern age. When there was no information on the bacteria, virus, corona or plague. Only answer for this question is that the Prophet Muhammad (May peace of Allah and His blessings be upon him) had received the information from the All-knowing and All-Seeing; Allah the Almighty! It is useful and appropriate to the context to mention a Dua or supplication for the prevention of deadly and infectious diseases including the epidemic coming from the Corona virus. The Prophet Muhammad (May peace of Allah and His blessings be upon him) taught to recite the following Dua. “Allahumma Inni ‘A`audhu Bika Min Al-Baras wal-Junoon wal-Juzam, wa-min sayyi il-Asqaam”. (Reported by Abu Dawood through an authentic chain) (Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from Albinism, madness and leprosy, and from the bad diseases.)…..Ameen!
( The authors write regularly on Islamic topics exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. Views are their own, [email protected])
