Activism

Doctor Prescribes “Common Sense” for COVID-19 Pandemic

“People have a false sense that the worse is over because the Omicron variant is not as deadly as the Delta variant, but what they don’t realize is that, although the milder Omicron variant dominates the news, the more deadly Delta variant hasn’t gone anywhere,” said Dr. Donna Carey, a physician for Alameda County and first lady of True Vine Ministries.

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2022

Oakland Post

Dr. Donna Carey, a physician for Alameda County and first lady of True Vine Ministries.

By Tanya Dennis

A member of Oakland Frontline Healers believes that simple common sense is the practice needed to halt the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Donna Carey, a physician for Alameda County and first lady of True Vine Ministries — which has provided testing and vaccines for the virus — spoke to the Oakland Post in a recent interview.

“If we’re to recover from this pandemic and return to normal, we must approach COVID-19 with common sense,” noting that as of Nov. 9, 2021, Alameda County has seen over 120,000 infections and over 1,400 deaths, with African Americans, Latino/a/x, and Pacific Islanders disproportionately affected.

“It’s still here and Omicron is so contagious it has surpassed the deaths caused by the Delta variant because of increased infection rates,” Carey said. “An average of 2,200 people a day die (nationally), mostly unvaccinated, due to Omicron. I recommend everyone double-mask when out in public.”

Carey further recommends people remain in their personal social bubbles. “When COVID-19 hit in 2020, we were advised to keep our social circles small,” Carey said.

People are returning to theaters, restaurants, and gatherings with strangers. “Use common sense,” Carey said. “You don’t know where these people have been or what they have been exposed to. Stay in your bubble, only socialize with close friends and family.”

Carey recommends everyone continue to employ good hand-washing routines as well. “Good hand washing is also good for the flu virus,” she said. “The reason we had such a low flu season last year was because people were washing their hands. Germs are there when you scratch your eyes or put something in your mouth: hand washing is about cleanliness and should continue as a life habit.”

Expressing concern over the long-range impact of the virus on children, Carey encourages every person aged 5 and older to get vaccinated. “Our children are facing long-term consequences. Omicron has changed the landscape,” Carey said. “There have been over 1 million pediatric cases (nationally) in the last two weeks. That’s an 80% increase of infection.

“Will those children fully recover? We don’t know what the long-term effect will be in 20 or 30 years. Will this impact their health and reactivate like chicken pox and create shingles or create brain fog?”

The best protection for kids ages 5 and under is for their parents to be vaccinated and continue to vigilant “about who comes over your house, where your kids are going, and show them the right way to wear a mask. Kids playing sports should limit their play to one team, not one or two, even if they are vaccinated. Limiting exposure (to the virus) is key,” Carey said.

Carey also took a common-sense attitude to the incidence of vaccine-related deaths. “With any medication there is a risk ratio factor,” Carey said. Each person must consider their own health protocols. Is their diabetes out of control? Are they on steroids long term? Is their immune system compromised?

Each individual must talk to their doctors “about the vaccine. Have that conversation,” Carey said.

Carey also spoke to the issue of irrational fear of vaccines. “We hear of people dying from car and plane accidents, (but) that doesn’t prevent us from getting in a car or on a plane,” Carey said. “People die from eating shrimp or peanuts, yet we know the chance of dying from eating shrimp is low. There are side effects from COVID-19 and the vaccine, but (potential death from the virus is) way lower for those that take the vaccine.”

COVID-19 will end depending on “when we get to a high level of people getting vaccinated,” Carey said. “COVID is going to be here for a while, so it’s going to be boosters every year, and developing vaccines for new variants, much like the flu shot every year.

“The reality is, I don’t see us getting away from needing a booster, and, fortunately, I don’t have any concerns about the vaccine affecting us adversely.”

Oakland Post

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

22 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland’s ‘Green the Church,’ Others, Host a Climate Revival

On April 20, Oakland’s Green The Church California (GTC) and the Center For Food, Faith and Justice will celebrate Earth Day and present a Climate Revival event titled “Growing Healthy Communities From Soil To The Soul” at McGee Avenue Baptist Church at 1640 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA. The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

The revival will take place at McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley on April 20. Courtesy image.

Growing Healthy Communities from Soil to the Soul in Berkeley

By Y’Anad Burrell

The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

The keynote speaker is Rev. Danté R. Quick, PhD, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J. Quick is well known in the Bay Area, having served for more than 10 years as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, CA.

Green The Church, founded in 2010 by Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., and headquartered in Oakland, helps galvanize Black churches and their local communities and leaders to address issues critical to populations historically disengaged from conversations around pollution and health, climate change, and sustainability and energy efficiency.

The organization collaborates with major environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, and is committed to “creation justice”—care and justice for God’s people and the planet—and building the Beloved Community.

Environmental justice has long been a pressing concern for communities of color who bear the brunt of pollution and ecological degradation. Climate change exacerbates these issues, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. Recognizing this urgency, Black churches across the country are taking action.

With deep roots in the African American community and its commitment to social justice, the Black Church has become an essential advocate for sustainable practices and policies.

Over the past 14 years, in a powerful collaboration with significant environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, GTC has created a cadre of Black churches engaging in the environmental justice, climate, and sustainability movement.

GTC presently works with more than 1,000 pastors and congregations across the U.S., and groups in the Bahamas, Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK, showing that we can make a difference together.

The partnership between environmental justice advocates and the Black Church extends beyond individual congregations. Green The Church provides resources and support for faith communities seeking to address climate change and promote environmental justice.

Through collaboration, initiatives such as energy efficiency programs, solar installations, and environmental education have been implemented in Black churches nationwide. These efforts reduce the carbon footprint and save money on energy bills, benefiting the congregations and their communities.

The involvement of the Black Church in the fight against climate change is not just a participation, it’s a powerful message that galvanizes action across communities.

By integrating environmental justice into their ministry, Black churches are demonstrating that addressing climate change is not only a matter of science but also of social and moral responsibility, inspiring change at a grassroots level.

For more information, go to: www.greenthechurch.org.