Some doctors and nurses will look like they’re headed for the outfield, not the hospital. They will be suited up in baseball uniforms!

Instead of regular baseball outfits, a Major League Baseball uniform maker is using its fabric for masks and gowns. Why? It’s one way of helping with the coronavirus pandemic.

Peek at the coronavirus under a microscope. It gets its name from the corona (halo shape) surrounding it. Common coronaviruses usually give people cold symptoms. But this one is not common. Some people who catch the virus get very sick and die. Many do not, but they can still spread the virus to others. This coronavirus started as an epidemic in China. Then it spread to the rest of the world, becoming a pandemic. 

Medical workers must have gowns and masks to protect themselves and to keep from spreading sickness. They also need ventilators—machines that help sick people breathe. These items run out fast. 

The jersey-making company isn’t alone in thinking outside the box. Companies drop their usual business. They help fill shortages. A hockey equipment company crafts medical face shields. Distillers (alcohol producers) switch to making hand sanitizer. Workers at a sail repair company begin sewing masks. An inventor finds a way to refit snorkel masks that will help patients breathe. 

In Hungary, top chefs drop off fancy meals at hospitals for hungry doctors and nurses who can’t take a break. Veterinarians become unlikely heroes too. They donate masks, ventilators, and gowns. Their supplies work for both animals and humans. 

More Helpers—Including You!

People wonder: “Do I have the virus?” They know for sure only after they’re tested. Workers in labs are busy with these tests day and night. Researchers race to find a vaccine.

Famous people give money to help. Ordinary folks do their part too. They shop and deliver groceries for neighbors who must stay home. They plant flowers outside nursing home windows to cheer up people who can’t come out. They organize groups to make masks.

What can you do? You can be calm and trust God. You can be patient—even if you have to postpone your birthday party. You can obey instructions: Keep your distance from people outside your home. Sneeze into your elbow (rather than onto people or surfaces) or use a tissue—and throw it away in a trash can! Wash your hands well. 

And you can be thankful. In many cities, people stand at open windows or on balconies. They sing, cheer, and applaud for doctors and nurses. 

Ideas: Write a thank you card to a medical worker. During a walk, pray for the people in each house in your neighborhood. Write a message of hope in sidewalk chalk by your house. 

My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:19