Certainly everyone should have a much greater profound respect for those who went through and survived the Black Death (30% or more died in Europe) and the Plague of Justinian (25% or more died in Europe).
COVID-19 has brought about 3.1 mn deaths so far as of end-April 2021 (statista #) out of 7.8 billion population. That’s like 0.03%, much like the normal flu. 152mn cases of COVID-19.
It’s #9 on the scale of worst epidemics and in its 16th month: List of epidemics and pandemics - Wikipedia
We are living through something that is nothing like 1/4 of the people who died from plagues, or even the 50mn supposedly that died from Spanish flu after WWI and 1/3 of the population (500mn) who were infected by it.
Nonetheless, it is very serious for many people, but the media has certainly hyped it up to be the next plague.
Depends how irrational you are. in my mind, things like Noah and the ark, living in a whale for 3 days, and a talking bush conclusively prove it’s fiction. YMMV.
The Hebrew word used in that verse is behema, which means beast. That’s where the word behemoth comes from. It’s also used for monsters Yahweh was fighting before creation.
I don’t know if any instance it’s used as a racial slur.
During Jesus’ time gentiles were referred to as dogs.
in my mind, things like Noah and the ark, living in a whale for 3 days, and a talking bush conclusively prove it’s fiction. YMMV. 
