By Cathy Stein
First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cathy Stein, Ph.D. I’m an associate professor of epidemiology, my Ph.D. is in epidemiology, I teach an undergraduate course on epidemiology, and my research is focused in infectious disease research. I am also a Christian, and my faith centers my worldview. I must note that my views do not reflect those of my university.
As an infectious disease epidemiologist, the events surrounding the COVID19 “pandemic” have evoked many reactions… interest, a sense of overwhelm, and fright, to name a few. Initially, the news coming out of Wuhan, China, then eventually other parts of the globe, was a little scary because there was this presumably new virus with somewhat uniquely severe symptoms. What made things worse from my perspective as an infectious disease epidemiologist, the numbers didn’t seem to match the fear. By the time the virus had been observed in countries other than China, less than 100,000 cases had been diagnosed in China… in a country of ~1 billion people. The numbers out of Italy sounded scary, but with reports of high comorbidity rates and an elderly population, that seemed to explain away the fear. But what probably scared people most of all was that mode of transmission of this virus was still unknown. Was it airborne? Could it survive on dry surfaces? And scariest of all, could presumably healthy spread the infection, since nothing else could explain its spread? Much of these unknowns were amplified by the fact that a diagnostic test was not widely available until almost summer 2020.
While a reasonable case definition still hasn’t emerged (public health departments rely mostly on positive tests, regardless of whether there are symptoms), there is a great deal more known now about COVID19. Since there are fewer unknowns, the fear should have subsided… but it seems worse. My objective here is to answer some commonly asked questions and concerns about COVID19.
Knowing what we know now, is COVID19 a super scary disease?
No, it is not. Now that we know more, there should be less to fear.
First, prevalence studies in large populations have shown us many things. For example, many people that test positive for COVID19 have no symptoms. Many people who carry the virus never get sick from it (exhibit symptoms). People are commonly “carriers” for other pathogens too, and would test positive if there was a population-wide testing program for those other pathogens. Multiple serologic surveys suggest that many more people have been exposed and mounted an antibody response, again never showing symptoms. These serologic surveys also show that this virus was likely in the US as early as December 2019… which might explain why it was so hard to explain the spread of COVID19, because we weren’t testing for it, and it had already spread! Moreover, the state databases do not remove individuals who have confirmed false-positive results, and some also include individuals who showed non-specific symptoms such as cough but no other positive test findings. At the time of this writing, ~5.1% of Ohio’s population was counted as ‘positive’ in the coronavirus dashboard…this is actually a relatively low number. (Ohio coronavirus numbers taken from https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/dashboards.)
But isn’t it very severe? If you listen to the media and the government, it certainly sounds like it. But actually, it isn’t severe based on objective metrics. Again, at this writing, ~5.6% of those people that tested positive were hospitalized in Ohio. Now, this number is inflated, because it counts people who were hospitalized for any reason and tested positive for COVID19 at any time; the data clearly show this (https://ohiostatehousenews.com/2020/05/governor-dewine-suppresses-data-disproving-covid-19-policies/, see also analyses presented by Kathryn Huwig on facebook, which are easily replicated by downloading the Ohio data). So, that’s actually not a high number. According to many studies, including some by the CDC, the infection fatality rate (number of people who die with COVID19 ÷ number of people diagnosed with COVID19) is less than 1% in people less than 70 years old, and it is less than 5% in people over age 70. The CDC has also done a study showing that most COVID19 deaths (>90%) occurred in people with multiple comorbidities (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm#Comorbidities). Additional research shows that people with multiple comorbidities have a weaker immune response to SARS-CoV-2 (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.25.20235150v1).
What about transmission from asymptomatic people? Is that reason to fear? First, keep in mind that in epidemiology, there are different types of studies. Case studies focus on specific events of clinical interest. Often, the media and government officials focus on these instances that suggest asymptomatic (or perhaps more likely pre-symptomatic) people spread COVID19. Those are isolated accounts and do not enumerate all the situations where asymptomatic people don’t spread infection. If you look at the literature at larger population-based studies, there is a much different story. My review of the literature suggests that the rate of transmission from asymptomatic individuals is less than 6% (and in many cases, the rate is zero). (references cited at the end of this article https://healthfreedomohio.org/News-Views/9354321) To be clear, many early studies used the word “asymptomatic” for people who eventually developed symptoms – the more appropriate term would be “pre-symptomatic”. The fact that the scientific literature includes both terms confuses matters, and one has to read the papers carefully to really understand what is going on. A recent large population-based study in Wuhan identified over 300 asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV2, and none of them spread the infection (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19802-w); many large studies have similar findings. In epidemiology, large studies carry more weight than case studies. This distinction is rarely, if ever, made by the media and government.
People get sick, but these statistics very much resemble influenza. There have been years with even higher influenza hospitalization rates, even exceeding hospital capacity, but those didn’t get media attention or invoke shutdowns of businesses and church closures (https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/ ). And the scientific literature also suggests that influenza and other respiratory infections are spread by asymptomatic (or more likely, presymptomatic) people. Much of fear in COVID19 is that healthy individuals might be spreading infection, and while the scientific literature shows this phenomenon occurs with other infectious diseases, we have not seen mask mandates and lockdowns during flu season and other outbreaks.
What about masks?
The research on the effectiveness of masks in preventing viral transmission has been in the literature for several years predating the COVID19 “pandemic.” Studies considering COVID19 do not differ from those previously published. In a systematic review of the scientific literature on masks, we found that not only does the literature suggest that masks are ineffective against viral transmission, masks could also adversely affect the health of the mask wearer (https://healthfreedomohio.org/all_about_masks). Note that both studies from the past several years make this point, and now recent studies of COVID19 also support this point. This is very clearly seen in the data as it unfolds. In Ohio, a state-wide mask mandate was put in place on July 23. While case numbers were already declining at that time, they continued to decline for a couple of months after that, and now the numbers are rapidly increasing. Even government agents observing mask compliance in businesses see 94% compliance. So there is no evidence of mask mandates translating into an impact on COVID19 case counts, and by implication, spread of COVID19.
Also, keep in mind that in “normal” circumstances, only sick people wear masks. The idea of everyone wearing masks is based on this concept of asymptomatic transmission… which as I point out above, is exceedingly rare.
But isn’t it “loving my neighbor” to wear a mask? First, I’ve already outlined above that transmission of infection from asymptomatic people is rare, and that is the entire premise over an entire population wearing masks. Second, I’ve outlined above that the literature and data show that masks don’t work in preventing viral transmission (but again, healthy people are likely not transmitting virus anyway), and could potentially promote infection and other adverse effects. Third, we all know that masks are a visual reminder of this pandemic, and as such, are a symbol of fear, and I’ve also outlined above that this virus is not the scary killer the media and government portray it to be. If wearing a mask is potentially harmful, doesn’t help, and promotes fear, it isn’t loving.
But the experts say…??? When someone says “the experts all agree”, they are lying because the experts never agree. There is always debate in science. Indeed, thousands of infectious disease and public health experts have come out in opposition to the government’s severe restrictions (https://gbdeclaration.org/). It is also worth noting that the experts have changed their minds on policy recommendations numerous times. For example, this article nicely illustrates Dr. Anthony Fauci’s continued contradictions on matters including the use of face masks https://thenewamerican.com/magazine/tna3620/page/91715.
A Christian response
As I started this article, I stated that I am a Christian. I believe in God’s sovereignty. I also believe the Holy Spirit indwells believers, and one spiritual gift is that of discernment. It was that discernment that had me watching the COVID19 coverage with such shock, because we should not be living in fear of a virus. Above I supported my view with science, and below I support it with Scripture.
First, as Christians, we should not fear death. If you have put your faith in Jesus, there is a great reward after death (Philippians 1:21).
Second, many Christians are among those who wear masks because they “love their neighbor”. One way to evaluate this stance biblically comes through a line of questioning. Is it loving to mislead your neighbor? Is it loving to perpetuate a fearful narrative? No, because scripture clearly speaks against deception (Exodus 20:16 and Exodus 23:1-2). In fact, Jesus called out the Pharisees on “virtual signaling” in Matthew 15. Saying “I wear a mask because I love my neighbor” is a misapplication of scripture and disseminates fear. There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18). Face coverings also inhibit our ability to fellowship with other believers, including singing worship songs, which is an important part of being in the body of Christ (Colossians 3:16). To be clear, if you wear a mask to comply with a government mandate so you can shop, etc., that’s a different motivation than saying you do it because you love your neighbor, because there is no fear in love.
God is not the author of confusion, the devil is (1 Corinthians 14:33, Philippians 4:7, Galatians 5:22). God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind! (2 Timothy 1:7). And lastly, why do Christians follow the “science” presented by individuals who don’t believe in a biblical account of creation? If they call themselves Christians, but their actions don’t line up with the Bible, are they a proper example? (Psalm 14:1, Matthew 12:33-35, Galatians 6:7, Romans 12:2). As a scientist that works in academia, let me tell you, most scientists make fun of our Christian faith. Don’t choose to follow the views of people whose worldview is based on something opposed to the Bible. There are enough scientists doing GOOD science with an understanding of how God created the world you can listen to.
Reflect on 2 Timothy 1:7. Note how Scripture tells us to not have a “spirit of fear”, but implores us to have a “sound mind”. As I’ve outlined above, COVID19 has a survival rate >95%. People have survived far worse diseases with far lower survival rates. You put yourself at risk every time you drive in a car, or eat food (think about every news report you’ve heard about foodborne illness outbreaks). Our Lord has given us a mission to share the gospel. If we live in fear of death, that weakens our testimony. Remember, the Lord Jesus did not fear lepers, and leprosy was (and continues to be) a highly contagious infectious disease. Not only did He heal them, but He touched them. He showed no fear, nor did He “socially distance”. If you have serious complicating conditions, take precautions and stay home if you must.
How does one have a “sound mind”? Seek truth. When you find “experts” contradicting themselves, maybe those aren’t the experts to listen to. Hebrews 10:25 does not have exceptions written in, yet these “experts” and government leaders would have you believe that worshiping God is “selfish”. There are many scientists, health professionals, and grassroots citizens spreading a message of hope and the truth of what the data actually show. Both the literature and the media reports are vast, and difficult to wade through. When reading these reports, remove the fear and preconceptions you have from what the government and media have told you previously, and try to read things objectively with a “sound mind”.
Lastly, reflect on the entirety of Hebrews 10:25. We are to only not forsake the assembling of ourselves, but we are to do it more so as Christ’s coming approaches. If you read your Bible, you will note that it is going to get harder as Christ’s second coming approaches. People need the gospel.



6 Comments
Amen. Thank you Dr. Cathey Stein. I applaud you for combining your expertise in both science and spiritual realities. God’s people will prevail, if we are obedient to The Word of God.
Amen, well said. Your words are from Above.., thank you.🙌
May Almighty God, bless and protect Dr. Stein for the sharing the Truth, Pastor Paul we need more like her.
Thank you, very good to read!
I wish more people could HEAR this!
The clear perspective – not fear perspective. Our Sovereign God is in control of this. My neighbor is NOT responsible for my health.