WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT THE HANDLING OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES?

Example of Handling of Leprosy (infection) Cases to mitigate any pandemic 

In the era of the novel Coronavirus of 2019, known as COVID-19, almost all the spiritual leaders promise safety from God Almighty to churchgoers against the advice for lock-downs of businesses including places of worship to stop the spread of the unknown virus. The virus has killed some of those spiritual leaders, which would make you doubt the power of God Almighty in protecting His flock or make you realize that any spiritual leader who ignores the authorities in infectious diseases is being misguided in leading their flocks because they do not really know the will of the true God Almighty or because they are not the shepherds representing God or Jesus.

Do not marvel at that statement because the Bible does speak of false prophets and Satan disguised as angels of light. In other words, not all churches are necessarily churches of the Jesus God Almighty.

(13) For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. (14) And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. (15) It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

You have been warned. By the way, the good and faithful King Josiah died at an early age because he was too proud to recognize the voice of God through the uncircumcised pagan Egyptian king Neco.

(22) Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Neco from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. (23) And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. (24) So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 2 Chronicles 35:22-24 ASV

The Bible is clear on how to handle infectious diseases. We are not going to find a detailed expose on each infectious disease, but we can use the same principles which the Bible decreed long ago on how to handle the infectious disease. Surprisingly, Jesus God Almighty must have inspired the pagan authorities because their recommendations are remarkably close to those of the Bible. The Bible calls for complete isolation of the infected person when the disease is confirmed and thorough verification by the priest, not the king, that the person is no longer infectious or is cured, before being readmitted into society. 

Nowadays, we have Doctors not priests to make the assessment. In Israel, in the past, if the infectious person had to do some errands in the society, they were to warn all who were around that an infectious person was passing through so that the others could take proper precautions. Jesus did not offer His supernatural powers to cure the infectious disease, for obvious reasons. What would they do when they force Jesus to turn His back on them?

Believers in God (Jesus) must follow the protocols that health authorities put in place to isolate the infectious just at it was the case in Israel.

Leviticus 13 contains the recommendations on how to handle infectious disease. 

(45) And the leper who has the plague in him, his garments shall be torn, and his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover the upper lip; and he shall call out, Unclean! Unclean! (46) And the days that the plague shall be in him, he is unclean; he shall live alone, he is unclean; his dwelling shall be at the outside of the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46 LITV

And the priest shall look on the scab on the seventh day. And, behold, if the scab has not spread in the skin, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. And he shall wash his garments, and shall be clean. Leviticus 13:34 LITV

VERSES ON DISEASES

(37) When there is famine in the land; when there is pestilence, blasting, mildew, locusts; when there is the stripping locust; when its enemy has distressed it in the land in its gates; any plague, any sickness, (38) any prayer, any supplication that shall come from any man of all of Your people Israel, who shall each man know the plague of his own heart, and shall spread his palms toward this house, (39) even You hear in Heaven Your dwelling- place and shall forgive and shall act, and shall give to each man according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You have known, You alone, the heart of all the sons of Adam), (40) so that they shall fear You all the days that they are living on the face of the land that You have given to our fathers. (41) And also, to the alien who is not of Your people Israel, and has come from a land afar off for Your name’s sake, (42) (for they shall hear of Your great name, and of Your strong hand, and of Your stretched out arm, and he shall have come in and prayed toward this house,) (43) You hear in Heaven, Your dwelling-place, and shall do according to all that the stranger calls to You for, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You like Your people Israel, and to know that Your name has been called on this house which I have built. 1 Kings 8:37-43 LITV