The Supreme Religious Authority has indicated that dealing with Coronavirus should be by following and applying medical guidelines, increasing health awareness, and health care, away from the methods of intimidation, fear and panicking.
This came during the second sermon of the blessed Friday prayer for this day (3rd Rajab 1441 AH) corresponding to February 28, 2020, which was held in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Hussayn (peace be upon him), and led by His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai, in which he stated:
Dear brothers and sisters, our topic in the second sermon is the importance of health awareness and the application of medical guidelines in the life of the individual and society. It is clear to all, brothers and sisters, what is perceived by observation and conscience, the importance of health awareness, health care and the application of medical guidelines in human health and wellness.
Health and wellness, which are necessity of life for the individual and society, for achieving the functions and tasks that the individual and society should perform, and their ability to develop, advance and prosper depends on health awareness, health care, application of medical guidelines, and care for all matters.
Before I clarify what is currently being discussed regarding the issue of the spread of the Coronavirus, I would like to clarify these matters:
What is the concept of health? What is the importance of health awareness in the life of the individual and society? Dear brothers and sisters, what we mean by health, perhaps some have a common understanding of health that it is being free of diseases and illnesses in a person's body.
The correct concept that must be reached and achieved is to have the physical, psychological and mental ability to perform the tasks and functions that a person should perform on earth, and his ability to provide the required means of living and the foundations for progress, prosperity, development and advancement of the society.
Now we come to what we mentioned about what do we mean by the health awareness? My brothers, we have two pillars in this case, the first pillar: increasing health awareness, which means three foundations:
1- Spreading the right healthy culture based on clarifying health concepts and on the scientific and cognitive foundations taken from the people of specialization, away from obsolete fantasies, myths and traditions.
2- Considering health awareness as a necessity and mission of life. A sick person and a sick society can never perform tasks and functions in life. How do we reach this level? We must have a feeling that this matter is a necessity of life and not a secondary and marginal matter, and we teach young and old people and make them feel that this is a necessity of life, taking the example of the advances countries because they took into consideration these matters, just as we are exerting a lot of effort and money in order to provide the material and living necessities of life from housing and other things. Likewise, we need to feel ourselves that this matter is one of the necessities and tasks of life.
3- Everyone is responsible for his health and the health of the individuals around him. There must be education on this matter in the family, at school, at the university, in the departments, and otherwise. Of course, the primary responsibility undoubtedly lies with the concerned health institutions, but everyone has to be responsible for his health and the health of the individuals around him, this feeling must be inculcated in the society.
And also these concepts must be transformed into convictions, inclinations and desires so that these principles are instilled as behavioral principles in the psyche of man, culture alone is not sufficient if we do not have the conviction and adoption, inclination and desire to this culture until it turns into behavior. The various media and other customary means must provide these convictions so that culture turns into conviction, tendency and desire and turns it into behavior in the life of the individual and society.
The second pillar: It is not enough to spread a healthy culture, but the daily lifestyle and societal behaviors must change. We have a nutritional, healthy and environmental lifestyle, and this depends on two principles:
1 - To avoid behaviors and the wrong dietary, healthy and environmental lifestyle, as many of us have a wrong diet, and our ecosystem has a lot of imbalances. We notice in our streets and alleys and in many places the lack of hygiene, which is one of the causes that lead to diseases to become epidemics. Changing this lifestyle is necessary and needs daily practice so that we change our societal behaviors in the food, health and environmental fields.
2- Paying attention to the repercussions and negative effects of the lack of a health awareness or not following the necessary medical instructions, especially if we notice that the patient possesses scientific competence, professional skill and professionalism, in this case the society will lose such competence and capabilities to develop society. There are also psychological effects of the sick individual and of those taking care of him, in addition to the economic and financial effects, as generally one needs lot of money to get a continuous treatment throughout his life if it is a chronic disease. And these negative repercussions increase when we note that the medical institutions in our country - unfortunately - are substandard, which makes the issue more complicated.
3- It is related to the current epidemic known as (Corona) and the need to adhere to medical recommendations and deal with it without reaching a state of terror, panic and fear. The various media outlets report the speed of the spread of this epidemic even in developed countries that have health and medical capabilities, and also in countries close to and neighboring Iraq, which requires more caution and taking effective preventive measures, especially from the concerned health departments and the general public. Also health education should be increased by various media outlets, and citizens should take these preventive matters seriously and with adequate attention and not underestimate them. And we should also not listen to what is published of things that claim to have an effect on prevention or treatment and which are baseless.
Praise to God Almighty, things are not dangerous in our country, so not need to feel the terror and panic of this epidemic, especially that this feeling may cripple the human ability to deal properly and interact with the disease, and everyone should cooperate in the family, school, university and institutions and the departments of the state and all other institutions, in achieving a broad national effort to prevent this epidemic and limit its spread, and it is necessary to follow the instructions issued by the relevant authorities with regard to this matter. And at the same time we must also not lose sight of turning to God Almighty for supplication to push away from us and from all humanity this scourge, which is a clear sign of His ability and authority, and that no matter what one possesses, the smallest creatures can paralyze him.
Oh God, pray for Mohammad and the family of Mohammad! May God grant us safety in our religion, our bodies and our homelands, and push away from us every misfortune. Indeed He is Hearing and Responsive. And, the latest of our prayers is; praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and Prayers and Allah's Peace be upon Mohammad and his pure and virtuous lineage.