Keeping Out The Swine Flu

Dorcas & I returned to Lima, Peru, very late Thursday night from Miami, Florida. As we left the plane, a team of doctors & nurses were reviewing every single passenger, to see if anyone appeared to have the symptoms of the swine flu. They pulled a few people aside for further observation, as well as to decide whether or not to take them to a local hospital for further tests and possible quarantine until the test results were known.

Later on, while waiting to go through Immigration, all arriving passengers were given a brochure prepared by the Peru Ministry of Health, entitled "Enjoy Peru - A Healthy Country", & detailing how to stay healthy & how to avoid the swine flu while in the country. The government brochure detailed how one should always sneeze or cough into a handkerchief or tissue, & even showed photos for anyone who wasn't exactly sure how to do it. If no handkerchief or tissue is available when you sneeze or cough, then sneeze or cough onto your upper arm instead of into your hands. Makes sense, since most flu transmission will be from personal contact, such as shaking hands. The brochure also said to wash your hands with soap & water after every sneeze or cough.

There is now an international debate going on as to whether this swine flu pandemic will be as bad as many experts have predicted. Nonetheless, taking the appropriate health precautions in your church or ministry, in order to guard against it, is a very wise thing to do. For those of you involved in international ministry, be sure to inform your leaders & teams about these measures, so as to keep your team, as well as those you serve, healthy & flu-less.