A prayer report looking at Covid-19 Hot Spots, Flattening the Curve, and Hopes for a Vaccine with links to resources.

As of 1st July, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stands at 10.3 million according to the World Health Organisation. In addition, the current death toll stands at over 500,000.

Covid-19 hot spots

Brazil has been hugely impacted due to a blend of inconsistent and incoherent rules, and economic inequality making access to healthcare difficult for poorer citizens. This has given the country the highest number of deaths globally over recent weeks and second in confirmed cases. To make matters worse, the true number of cases is likely much higher due to their low rate of testing with a study by the University of Sao Paolo Medical School estimating that the true rate of infection is 15 times greater.

Elsewhere in South America Chile, French Guiana, and Peru have recorded among the top 10 countries in the world for confirmed cases per 100,000 population despite stricter lockdown restrictions than Brazil’s.

These statistics may be in part explained by differing test rates between countries making international comparisons difficult. The same issue applies to how deaths are recorded in different countries.

The US has the most confirmed cases in the world, growing to almost 2.6 million as a result of a recent big increase in the rate of infection in southern and western states after many regions loosened lockdown restrictions prematurely.

Over Europe the rate of infection has stabilised to a confirmed case number of 130,000 per week; half of the rate at its peak of the virus. Hotspots on the continent can be found in Russia where the new daily cases remain around 7,000, and with smaller regional outbreaks within the likes of Ukraine, UK, France, and Germany.

Other countries around the world struggling to contain the virus include India, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia, where the numbers of new cases and deaths are strongly rising.

Has the curve flattened?

In some countries around the world where good social distancing has been practised, masks worn where necessary, efficient testing and quarantining has taken place, and test-and-trace systems have been implemented, the rate of infection has been shown to fall and in some places be reduced to 0. This has been fully enacted by small countries and island nations and has seen positive results from larger countries such as New Zealand, Taiwan, and Iceland where the virus was once prominent.

In other countries, there has been impatience during lockdown, not waiting long enough for case rates to fall before reopening. This prevents a reduced rate of transmission, which doesn’t work towards the eradication of the virus. Through further restlessness and more easing of lockdown restrictions, the rate of transmission has increased again producing a so-called ‘second spike’ as shown by the recent dramatic increase in cases in the US or Iran.

The efforts that have been put in place by countries all over the world have reduced the impacts of the virus, though. Without the measures such as social distancing designed to reduce transmission, the new numbers of cases would likely not have dropped, and the death toll would have been much higher by now.

Vaccine update

Two drugs have received emergency use authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration for use in clinical trials on patients to test their effectiveness in treating coronavirus. The first of these, hydroxychloroquine, had this authorisation removed after studies showed the drug not to be effective, and the second, remdesivir is awaiting data. It will likely be months before a treatment drug can be proven, and longer before it can be widespread.

Numerous vaccine trials are taking place around the world including one produced by the University of Oxford taking place in Brazil with 5,000 participants, and a smaller trial in Germany generating positive results in its initial phases.

Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to flatten the curve and finally arrest this epidemic. 

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders. 

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable population and nations. We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest.

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

Pray: Lord God, the One who has Almighty power, we agree according to your promise in Matthew 18:18-20 that this virus will be stopped in its tracks. That the medical researchers will get a download from Heaven on how to quickly develop a vaccine to counteract COVID-19 and a cure for those who have become infected.

We also agree in prayer, asking that the Body of Christ worldwide will rise up in love and boldness, trusting in your blood to cover and protect us and throwing off fear, so that we can be available to serve, bless, and bear witness to those around us who are terrified and depressed at being infected.

Let us seize this unprecedented opportunity to make you known to those without hope in Christ!

Thank you for your promise that surely, you will be with us "always, even to the very end of the age”  so that we can carry on with the mission you have given us for our world (Matthew 28:20).

Join in Online Prayers:

World Prayer Centre, Birmingham, UK – Virtual House of Prayer

iHop Kansas Prayer Room

247 Prayer Coronavirus Prayer Room 

Additional Prayer Resources for Coronavirus

A coronavirus prayer from Pete Greig

19 Things to Do in response to Coronavirus

Prophecy Today UK’s Responses to Coronavirus

PrayerCast Video and Prayer Briefing
CSM Nigeria Article
Lausanne Resources
Operation World EBook on the impact on Mission

WW11 Veteran Gets 180k Praying

Reporting from John Hopkins University: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

Further data on Europe and the world: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases