Ohhh yep, I’ve considered this recently. Actually, at my parish the precious blood isn’t even an option (only the priests/deacons/EOMs receive it), but I was recently seriously perturbed during the sign of peace.
This was just after the news was out that Coronavirus has been identified in my region, and I was sitting in Mass and had already decided I wouldn’t shake all the hands (also, multiple older people around me were coughing, into their hands). Time came for the sign of peace, and to be 1000% clear, I tucked my hands into my jacket sleeves and did the mini-bow/smile thing that’s relatively common where I live…
And literally, never ever before have I had so many people stubbornly try to shake my hand. Maybe they were trying to teach me a lesson, and though they could out-stubborn me? But all around, hands came out to me. One middle aged man in front of my shoved his hand in front of my belly for a handshake, and literally left it there for several seconds, even as I clearly smiled, bowed, and slightly shook my head. He didn’t withdraw his hand until I literally said out loud: “Sorry, I’m actually not doing that right now…” and my honest impression is that he felt smug that I was being rude and he was highlighting that for others.
Honestly, I have no idea what that was about, but it really annoyed me.
Also my parish used to have hand sanitizer in the foyer, but they no longer do. AND they have a volunteer stand at the entrance door where they force every single person to walk in single file and shake his hand. It’s insane. I feel like it’s a guarantee for spreading germs. I genuinely get distracted on my way to Church, thinking about how annoyed I am that I’m about to have to shake a hand that has shaken many sick hands, with no hand sanitizer beyond. (I’ve bought multiple mini sanitizers for my purse but somehow always lose them; I know, that’s my fault. Still.) I can’t bring myself to be rude enough to say “Please don’t shake my hand, this is how disease gets spread,” so I just have to pray so hard to not feel angry and to instead forgive him, every time.
Whoo. Sorry. Guess your question brought a pet peeve out for me. I have legitimately contemplated leaving the Novus Ordo entirely over the sign of peace, and attending Latin Mass for literally no other reason than that they don’t force you to hold hands that have been coughed into, every single Mass. And now during coronavirus season, for some reason unfathomable to me, people at my parish are actually acting less respectful of sanitary practice.
