Mass During the COVID-19 Outbreak

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Richard_White said:
And I think it is my duty to respond diligently to the plethora of excuses that are being provided here, which, honestly, are totally inaccurate and/or insensitive to the larger U.S. community, particularly those who are considered high risk.
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Why do you think it’s your duty? Are you in a position of authority in the Church, the government, or public health?
 
I figured that someone would call me out on that. But I think you are comparing apples to oranges. Believe me, as I have said many times, I don’t want to skip Mass and miss out on the Eucharist. I love our Eucharistic Lord and Communion with Him every week gives me the strength to live like Him in the following week. Nevertheless, I think it better serves the common good, which is also Catholic teaching, to do our due diligence and stay home for a few weeks so as to limit the spread of the disease. Don’t forget that reception of Communion is only required once a year, during Easter time. Moreover, there are people all over the world who can’t go to Mass every week for reasons of limitations on priests/parishes to persecution.

In regard to your other question, I saw that about Pope Francis today, and I honestly haven’t made up my mind about it yet. I understand the idea behind it, and it is a noble Christian one. I think of Saint Damien of Molokai and the leper colony. These people still need to be ministered too, especially with Last Rites if necessary. Nevertheless, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around sending priests out to minister to people with the disease, because they will probably get it too. Unless they put on a full hazmat suit or something. They will of course have to quarantine themselves after. I have to think about it a little more.
 
Richard_White said:
Unless they put on a full hazmat suit or something. They will of course have to quarantine themselves after. I have to think about it a little more.
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This is a massive overreaction and not even what CDC or WHO are saying is how to handle this. If I get called to anoint someone with the virus, I’ll wash my hands when I’m done. It’s not Ebola.

Seriously, calm down. We should exercise caution. But we shouldn’t panic.
 
Richard_White said:
But I am absolutely not overreacting.
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Your “request” is more extreme than my state Bishops policy and my state’s department of health guidelines.
Richard_White said:
We can’t afford to be selfish right now.
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To be frank Richard, you’re not my Bishop, Governor, or Doctor. This thread is your opinion and I disagree with your reasoning. You’re free to do as you wish but please refrain from judging others who’re abiding by official guidelines.

Thanks Have Nice Day
 
www.livescience.com

How does the new coronavirus compare with the flu?

Research so far indicates that COVID-19 spreads more easily and has a higher death rate than the flu.
www.livescience.com www.livescience.com

“So far, the new coronavirus has led to more than 100,000 illnesses and more than 3,000 deaths worldwide. But that’s nothing compared with the flu, also called influenza. In the U.S. alone, the flu has caused an estimated 34 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).“

(Bolding is mine.)
 
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The first 3 Commandments given by God are our duties to him. Only then are they followed by the 7 that concern our relationship with others.

Until Masses have been cancelled in my area, even though I’m at risk, I’ll be going to Mass, with taking all recommended due precautions to do so.

Prudent - yes. Panic - no.
 
I feel like the OP is now saying that anyone who does attend Mass is somehow selfish.

@Richard_White, you have made your decision, and we respect you. Unless I am very unwell or am worried I have the virus, I don’t think it is at all wrong to attend Mass and I think that my Archbishops’s guidelines are very good, and they make me feel much safer at Mass.

Please refrain from telling posters who disagree with you that they must be wrong.
 
edward_george1 said:
Why do you think it’s your duty? Are you in a position of authority in the Church, the government, or public health?
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I have absolutely no authority whatsoever. I am simply a member of the human family trying to look out for my fellow brothers and sisters.
edward_george1 said:
This is a massive overreaction and not even what CDC or WHO are saying is how to handle this. If I get called to anoint someone with the virus, I’ll wash my hands when I’m done. It’s not Ebola.

Seriously, calm down. We should exercise caution. But we shouldn’t panic.
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Okay, maybe a hazmat suit was an overstatement. A mask is probably sufficient, since that is what healthcare workers are using to treat COVID-19 patients. Nevertheless, hopefully you don’t think that you can anoint someone with the virus and then just wash your hands after and be fine. It is a respiratory illness spread by droplets. You would have to self-quarantine for 2 weeks.

Finally, I am very calm. This COVID-19 situation does cause me anxiety, but I’m just trying to supply words of wisdom regarding social distancing, which is in fact being called for by our public health officials. I think it’s the smart thing to do. Listen to them if you won’t listen to me.

Also, just a note about Ebola - Ebola is actually not that contagious, because it is not airborne. One person can only infect about 2 people. With measles, one person can infect as many as 18 people. Ebola only spread so much in Africa because of a very poor health care infrastructure. The disease itself, however, is extremely severe, using massive hemorrhage throughout the body.

Here is an article if you’d like to read it:

www.bu.edu

Talking about the Ebola Outbreak with BU Experts on the Disease

An interview with infectious disease and Ebola expert Nahid Bhadelia, a BU School of Medicine assistant professor, and John Connor, a MED associate professor of microbiology, on the WHO’s decision to declare the Ebola outbreak in Congo a global health emergency.
www.bu.edu www.bu.edu
 
Richard, I am not downplaying the severity of the situation, but, really, there is no point in doing public service announcements on an anonymous Internet forum on anything other than something to do with the forum itself. People understandably are not willing to listen to someone who does not have any more authority to speak on the matter than themselves or whose credentials they cannot verify. At most, just tell people to listen to what their bishops and health experts say.

Just do what you believe you have to do to keep yourself and your family safe. But, don’t go around lecturing others who are also keeping in-line of what their bishops are telling them to do.
 
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Self quarantining when not necessary is a whole different kettle of fish to social distancing.
 
I am judging no one. I am not saying that you are selfish. I’m just saying that we have to not only think about our desire to go to Mass, but our duty to protect the larger community. I am making very general statements about what I believe needs to be done. Public health officials are increasingly speaking about the need for social distancing. All of the sports franchises are postponed. Disneyland is closed. Broadway theaters are closed. Cruises are cancelled. New York has banned any gatherings of over 500 people. Connecticut has banned any gatherings over 250 people. So, it’s not like I am saying something novel here. These measures might be disruptive but they are necessary.
 
We cant be comparing something that has been around since the 1500-1600’s to something that has been around for 2 months. The seasonal flu has had 500 years to spread and get embedded into communities. The statistics (so far) show that corona virus kills 1.4 - 2 % of people that get it. Seasonal flu kills .05 - .1 percent. Meaning coronavirus kills at more than 20 times the rate as the seasonal flu. So the real issue is not that “Covid-19” doesn’t have as many cases as season flu, its trying to prevent it from getting there.

An Example is if 1000 people get the season flu, 1 person will die from it.
if 1000 people get coronavirus, 14-20 will die.

That is a massive difference.

Another number to consider is the rate at which the virus multiplies or is spread. A sick person will spread the seasonal flu (on average) to only 1 person whereas Covid-19 has shown to have a reprodcutive number somewhere between 1.4 and 3.9. This means it can be 3 to 4 times more contagious.

Based on these early numbers, I do not think it imprudent to take extra precautions.

If a person is responsible for caring for their sick 80 year old mother in their home or for a child with a severe disease that suffers from infections quite easily, would it be unwise and imprudent to attend Mass if there has been a large outbreak in your community?

My community has no cases of Covid-19, so I am still grateful that I can attend Mass and not have to worry about bringing the virus to a sick family member. When Covid does get here, what should I do? Do I attend Mass and risk transmitting the virus to a family member who would most likely die if they got it? Would it be imprudent to go if large gatherings are not recommended?
 
I don’t believe that I said that people are wrong. I’m just trying to defend my point in this debate. I figured that I would get negative pushback, but I thought at least people would think what I was saying was valid. I’m also not saying that anyone is selfish. I know why everyone wants to continue to go to Mass, believe me. I just think that we have to think of the larger community here, and not just our own personal desire to go to Mass right now.

Also, with all due respect to the Bishops (truly), they are not public health experts. I think that Sunday Masses are a huge gatherer of people every single week and if that can be limited, then it will go a long way for the prevention of the spread of this disease.
 
Thank you for this response— we carry the disease for weeks without symptoms. If we go we run the risk of infecting a high risk group or each other, which will limit hospital care for those who really need it. I’m not sure that God keeps track of all these masses like a bureaucrat. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and shouldn’t be marred by disease. Think of the elderly. Most carriers are the healthy young ones who jet set around like nothing is happening.
 
we carry the disease for weeks without symptoms. If we go we run the risk of infecting a high risk group or each other, which will limit hospital care for those who really need it. I’m not sure that God keeps track of all these masses like a bureaucrat. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and shouldn’t be marred by disease. Think of the elderly. Most carriers are the healthy young ones who jet set around like nothing is happening.
 
This is 100% not true. The virus passes on through respiratory droplets. You could be in contact with someone with the virus and wash every inch of your hands and it wouldn’t make a difference if you breathed in their infectious droplets. Maybe if the patient wears a mask then you might be okay to visit him or her, but I think you still ought to quarantine. Also, you are infectious before you test positive, so that is why if you wait to quarantine yourself after an exposure until after you yourself test positive, then you have already infected others.
 
Miketdobbs said:
If a person is responsible for caring for their sick 80 year old mother in their home or for a child with a severe disease that suffers from infections quite easily, would it be unwise and imprudent to attend Mass if there has been a large outbreak in your community?

My community has no cases of Covid-19, so I am still grateful that I can attend Mass and not have to worry about bringing the virus to a sick family member. When Covid does get here, what should I do? Do I attend Mass and risk transmitting the virus to a family member who would most likely die if they got it? Would it be imprudent to go if large gatherings are not recommended?
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I do not disagree with you. I think most of us here are just saying that there is not the level of panic we are seeing needed yet.

As far as statistics, I guess everyone looks at them with different ways of analyzing. We all glean the facts that matter most to us. What I see when I look at the stats are the number of deaths.
 
I have a friend in Malaysia. Why do you care? Because the outbreak in her country was exacerbated by a Muslim guy who carried the virus without knowing it and went to a prayer center of 5,000 people. The death rate skyrocketed and was linked to that religious grouping. Just use caution. To me, it’s a no brainer not to go. There are several ways to worship at home. You just might learn something by new about yourself or about God.
 
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