Last updated: March 5th, 2020
CDC Statement About Covid-19
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
Latest Updates from Houston and Surrounding Areas
Precautions:
Following recommendations, were made by Dr. James Robb, MD, Professor of Pathology and expert in Coronavirus at San Diego:
Here are some of the precautions that we should take. These are the same precautions currently used during our influenza seasons, except for the mask and gloves.
- NO HANDSHAKING! Use a fist bump, slight bow, elbow bump, etc. Use ONLY your knuckle to touch light switches, elevator buttons, etc.. Lift the gasoline dispenser with a paper towel or use a disposable glove.
- Open doors with your closed fist or hip – do not grasp the handle with your hand, unless there is no other way to open the door. Especially important on bathroom and post office/commercial doors.
- Use disinfectant wipes at the stores when they are available, including wiping the handle and child seat in grocery carts.
- Use Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves when going shopping, using the gasoline pump, and all other outside activity when you come in contact with contaminated areas.
- Wash your hands with soap for 10-20 seconds and/or use a greater than 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer whenever you return home from ANY activity that involves locations where other people have been.
- Keep a bottle of sanitizer available at each of your home’s entrances. AND in your car for use after getting gas or touching other contaminated objects when you can’t immediately wash your hands.
- If possible, cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard. Use your elbow only if you have to. The clothing on your elbow will contain an infectious virus that can be passed on for up to a week or more!
- Use disposable masks to prevent you from touching your nose and/or mouth (We touch our nose/mouth 90X/day without knowing it!). This is the only way this virus can infect you – it is lung-specific. The mask will not prevent the virus in a direct sneeze from getting into your nose or mouth – it is only to keep you from touching your nose or mouth.
Note: This virus is spread in large droplets by coughing and sneezing. This means that the air will not infect you! BUT all the surfaces where these droplets land are infectious for about a week on average – everything that is associated with infected people will be contaminated and potentially infectious. The virus is on surfaces and you will not be infected unless your unprotected face is directly coughed or sneezed upon. This virus only has cell receptors for lung cells (it only infects your lungs) The only way for the virus to infect you is through your nose or mouth via your hands or an infected cough or sneeze onto or into your nose or mouth.
Suggested Supplies:
Following supplies were recommended by Dr. James Robb, MD, Professor of Pathology and expert in Coronavirus at San Diego:
- Latex or nitrile latex disposable gloves
- Disposable masks
- Hand sanitizers that are alcohol-based with a greater than 60% alcohol content.
- Try zinc lozenges. These lozenges may be effective in blocking coronavirus (and most other viruses) from multiplying in your throat and nasopharynx. Use as directed several times each day when you begin to feel ANY “cold-like” symptoms beginning. It is best to lie down and let the lozenge dissolve in the back of your throat and nasopharynx. Cold-Eeze lozenges is one brand available, but there are other brands available.
AMJA’s Statement:
All Praise Be to Allah , and May His Blessings and Peace Be on the Messenger of Allah.
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA) received several inquiries regarding the current outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the proper response by the masjids and individual Muslims. In response, AMJA issued the following statement:
First: concerning the management of the Islamic Centers
It is not permissible for the masjids and Islamic centers to suspend the congregational prayers and Jumu’ah because of the spread of the virus in the United States, unless the local public health authorities in a particular city advise the suspension of services at the houses of worship and avoidance of large public gatherings. In the event of that development, the masjid management should comply with such instructions. This would be a sufficient excuse to pray Jumu’ah at home (as dhuhr) until the restriction is removed.
It is permissible for the masjid managements to demand those with flu symptoms to wear masks during the congregational prayers. It is also permissible to assign a room for them or a designated area in the prayer hall and to advise them to avoid handshaking with the other worshipers and follow the proper precautions to prevent the transmission of the disease.
The masjid managements should follow the updates that are periodically issued by the public health agencies like CDC and comply with their instructions.
Second: concerning the Muslim public
The permissibility of missing Jumu’ah and congregational prayers out of fear of the disease depends on several variables. As for the daily congregational prayers, the matter is simpler since they are not obligatory according to the majority. The majority of those who considered them obligatory did not demand their performance at a masjid. As for the Jumu’ah , it is not permissible for adult men who are otherwise required to attend it to miss it except in the case of justifiable, not conjectural, fear. What matters in this regard is the instructions of the public health authorities. If they advise the avoidance of all public gatherings, then the epidemic has reached a level of making that fears justifiable. As for the higher risk groups, such as old people and those with chronic disease, they should follow the advice of their primary healthcare providers. They are most entitled to concessions.
People with symptoms of the disease (which are like those of flu) should avoid coming to the masjids if they suspect that they may be infected until they check with their healthcare providers and ensure they are not. This is because the harm of spreading this virus is much greater than that of bothering the people with the odor of garlic; and the Prophet (PBUH) said, “He who eats of this plant (garlic) should not come near our masjid and should not bother us with the odor of garlic.”
We ask Allah for safety and well being for ourselves and all people.
Ameen.
