Should I miss mass tomorrow?

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God will understand…
Yes. The kids and I have gotten colds from 3 of the 5 weekends we’ve attended Mass. (We’ve already skipped twice because we were sick) One got pretty bad and we were worried about RSV. It’s so scary! We don’t do much out of the house because it’s gotten so bad. However, I do find it a bit frustrating that people are more careful about going to the library than Mass.
 
I recently came down with the flu this past Thursday. I have been taking antivirals and they have been working very well. As of right now, I am feeling much better and haven’t been coughing lately. I would say I am feeling 80%, and I feel healthy enough to attend mass, although I am unsure if I am still contagious. I would like to attend mass tomorrow and I feel healthy enough, but I do not want to risk spreading the flu. What should I do?
Anyone with flu should stay at home. When you are sick there is no obligation.

Frankly, I think it is selfish of anyone who has a virus that can be passed on to go into a crowded area. That could almost in itself be construed as sinful knowing that you could cause harm to someone else (this is just my personal opinion).

CCC 2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
 
If you have the flu, stay home. Don’t go to the store, don’t go to Church. When your physician did the influenza test, they should have told you how long to stay at home.

There are people out there for whom the flu does not mean a few days off work, it is life or death.

Should you have to go out, wear a mask and change it every 20 minutes.
 
You can still be contagious. I’d recommend staying home. If you did go don’t dip your hands in holy water, or shake hands.
 
What you’ve read about the flu is correct.

What someone doesn’t realize is even if they’re not showing any symptoms, they can still be contagious.

Someone is still contagious if they have a fever. They’re no longer contagious to others once their fever has passed and has stayed away for 24 hours.

Whenever I’ve been ill, I’ve never even felt well enough to go anywhere.

There have been many threads about someone going to Mass when ill, and a person is excused for illness.

God bless you, and I hope that you feel better soon! ❤️
 
The really scary thing about this year’s flu, is that it’s spread from breathing–in air droplets. 🙁

That’s what’s different about it.
 
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I just “participated” in the mass online at a parish in Winona, Minnesota. The wonders of tech!
 
Even if I have no symptoms tomorrow morning?
Okay, so I have a question for those who adamantly advise this person to stay home, which seems to be the general consensus on this thread.

She’s been sick, but is feeling 80‰ better on Saturday. She was speculating on Sunday that she might feel completely well. She was diagnosed with a virus that lab tests did not determine to be the flu. She’s been on antiviral medications for three days. She feels well and has presumably not had a fever for at least 24 hours. At what point do you consider it acceptable to resume one’s normal life after having recovered from an illness that probably wasn’t influenza?

There are plenty of 2-3 day viruses out there that knock you cold for a couple of days and then you’re fine.

Kids with the flu can be contagious for up to two weeks. With rotovirus and norovirus, you can still be contagious for up to two weeks after recovery. With many viruses, you are contagious during the incubation period, before you show symptoms. The safest practice, then, would be to stay home for two weeks after recovering from such an illness. In addition, all of those who live with a sick individual should probably quarantine themselves until they are sure that they have not contracted the illness, which would be 2 weeks, plus 24-72 hours after recovery. I would wager that there are no employers or schools that would consider it acceptable to stay home for two weeks after having completely recovered from a virus.

For the record, I don’t think there’s any sin in staying home an extra day in these circumstances, to be safe. I’m just wondering how you can determine when to draw the line.
 
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somethingtodo:
Even if I have no symptoms tomorrow morning?
Okay, so I have a question for those who adamantly advise this person to stay home, which seems to be the general consensus on this thread.

She’s been sick, but is feeling 80‰ better on Saturday. She was speculating on Sunday that she might feel completely well. She was diagnosed with a virus that lab tests did not determine to be the flu. She’s been on antiviral medications for three days. She feels well and has presumably not had a fever for at least 24 hours. At what point do you consider it acceptable to resume one’s normal life after having recovered from an illness that probably wasn’t influenza?

There are plenty of 2-3 day viruses out there that knock you cold for a couple of days and then you’re fine.

Kids with the flu can be contagious for up to two weeks. With rotovirus and norovirus, you can still be contagious for up to two weeks after recovery. With many viruses, you are contagious during the incubation period, before you show symptoms. The safest practice, then, would be to stay home for two weeks after recovering from such an illness. In addition, all of those who live with a sick individual should probably quarantine themselves until they are sure that they have not contracted the illness, which would be 2 weeks, plus 24-72 hours after recovery. I would wager that there are no employers or schools that would consider it acceptable to stay home for two weeks after having completely recovered from a virus.

For the record, I don’t think there’s any sin in staying home an extra day in these circumstances, to be safe. I’m just wondering how you can determine when to draw the line.
Yes, because it could be RSV.


The fact that she was prescribed antivirals is telling. The rapid test is notorious for false negatives.

80% better is not even fully recovered.

Fully recovered people can spread illness but their ability as germ carriers goes down significantly. While germs can be spread by simply breathing they are spread worse by coughing, sneezing, and nose-blowing. It’s the severity of the contagion that is concerning.

Not only that, but someone who is NOT fully recovered puts themselves at risk for a secondary infection like pneumonia.
 
I ended up staying home. I still did not feel 100%, and I actually started to cough a little bit, not uncontrollably like before, but it was still there. I felt as though I personally could have gone, but I was uncertain if I was still contagious and wanted to play it safe for everyone else.

PS. I’m a dude, by the way. 😜
 
@somethingtodo : Call the nurse and ask :). Hope you feel 100% better soon. God bless you.
 
I ended up staying home. I still did not feel 100%, and I actually started to cough a little bit, not uncontrollably like before, but it was still there. I felt as though I personally could have gone, but I was uncertain if I was still contagious and wanted to play it safe for everyone else.

PS. I’m a dude, by the way. 😜
Oops! Sorry. (Where’s that embarrassed emoji? I liked the emojis on the old forum better.)

I hope you feel better soon!
 
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somethingtodo:
I ended up staying home. I still did not feel 100%, and I actually started to cough a little bit, not uncontrollably like before, but it was still there. I felt as though I personally could have gone, but I was uncertain if I was still contagious and wanted to play it safe for everyone else.

PS. I’m a dude, by the way. 😜
Oops! Sorry. (Where’s that embarrassed emoji? I liked the emojis on the old forum better.)

I hope you feel better soon!
There’s not a good one. But you can use this ☺️ which is “relaxed” (I don’t get that) or this
🤐 or 😳 which is “flushed”
 
She was diagnosed with a virus that lab tests did not determine to be the flu. She’s been on antiviral medications for three days.
These arguments are mutually exclusive. If the OP didn’t have the flu, antivirals wouldn’t work (unlike antibiotics, there are no general purpose antivirals).
 
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babochka:
She was diagnosed with a virus that lab tests did not determine to be the flu. She’s been on antiviral medications for three days.
These arguments are mutually exclusive. If the OP didn’t have the flu, antivirals wouldn’t work (unlike antibiotics, there are no general purpose antivirals).
How do you know that the antivirals worked? Maybe he is just getting better because the bug has run its course.
 
STAY HOME!

The flu is KILLING people this year.

Do NOT mess with potentially being contagious around elderly and small children. JUST DON’T DO IT!

Honestly, with people being so STUPID in light of the tragedies occurring, I’m seriously considering skipping Mass for the next few weeks so my young children don’t get sick. Not fear-mongering but the flu shot was a really poor match this year and things like RSV can piggyback–both of which can kill–and ARE killing–children.
This. We skipped this Sunday because I have an infant, our parish is always packed in like sardines so we’d be in close contact even if not shaking hands, and my other kids are young enough they WILL touch the snotted on pews and then touch their face. And since people are selfish to come to church while contagious we were not going to risk catching flu. It is RAMpANT here and could be deadly to my infant.
 
If you had just a cold I’d say you should go.
NO!!! What is a “cold” to an adult may actually be RSV which can be DEADLY to small children. STAY HOME if sick. To do otherwise is just selfish.
 
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