With my Hilton Head Island tan, I could pass for black! Seminarian Kevin Braski, Fr. Solomon Kaanan and I at a Scottish pub our first restaurant outing after the relaxation of sheltering in place, except I broke the law going out, because at the time sheltering in place was still in effect for those 65 and older. I know, I know, I look slightly older than our seminarian but Fr. Solomon and I look exactly the same age and race.
Saturday, a week ago, we had our first public Mass at our Cathedral-Basilica. It was the ordination of a dozen or more deacons, mostly permanent but two transitional also.
After Mass, one of the deacons present got word that he had been tested positive of COVID-19.
This set off alarm bells. Three parishes that were to open for Masses that weekend decided not to do so as the priests had attended the ordination. All our seminarians were asked to get tested.
So out of an abundance of caution, all three of us in my rectory, Fr. Solomon, Seminarian Kevin Braski and I got tested. We all were negative.
Are we to shelter in place and quarantine ourselves each time we venture into the public where undoubtedly there are people positive with COVID-19 but have not been tested. Is ignorance bliss for the faint of heart???
Do churches have to shut down each time priests and ministers may have contacted someone with it?
Two Sundays before the national shutdown, I was on nearby Hilton Head Island for vacation, Sundays, March 8 and 15. On the 8th I attended Mass at Holy Family Church and it was packed with tourists, about 1,500 people. Many of them were from the northeast, like New York City and thus some, I presume, were positive COVID-19. In addition to that, the week I was there I went out to eat in crowded restaurants almost every day. The March 15 Mass on Hilton Head was half the number of people from the week before, mostly tourists and I went to a packed with tourist restaurant on the Island for supper and then the next day returned to my parish.
Sunday, March 22nd would have been my first Sunday back, but everything canceled and all shut down because of the spreading pandemic, especially in the northeast, like New York!
I would have been exposed to more potentially positive COVID-19 people on Hilton Head, especially New Yorkers, than I was at the Cathedral on May 30th.
Yet there was more hysteria about the Cathedral from some, than about all the people I was around at a tourist hot spot for northerners, Hilton Head.
What do you make of all the hysteria and fear and are we to quarantine forever each time we come into contact with an infected person?
Fearless Catholics who are not completely insensitive to the fearful want to know.
Saturday, a week ago, we had our first public Mass at our Cathedral-Basilica. It was the ordination of a dozen or more deacons, mostly permanent but two transitional also.
After Mass, one of the deacons present got word that he had been tested positive of COVID-19.
This set off alarm bells. Three parishes that were to open for Masses that weekend decided not to do so as the priests had attended the ordination. All our seminarians were asked to get tested.
So out of an abundance of caution, all three of us in my rectory, Fr. Solomon, Seminarian Kevin Braski and I got tested. We all were negative.
Are we to shelter in place and quarantine ourselves each time we venture into the public where undoubtedly there are people positive with COVID-19 but have not been tested. Is ignorance bliss for the faint of heart???
Do churches have to shut down each time priests and ministers may have contacted someone with it?
Two Sundays before the national shutdown, I was on nearby Hilton Head Island for vacation, Sundays, March 8 and 15. On the 8th I attended Mass at Holy Family Church and it was packed with tourists, about 1,500 people. Many of them were from the northeast, like New York City and thus some, I presume, were positive COVID-19. In addition to that, the week I was there I went out to eat in crowded restaurants almost every day. The March 15 Mass on Hilton Head was half the number of people from the week before, mostly tourists and I went to a packed with tourist restaurant on the Island for supper and then the next day returned to my parish.
Sunday, March 22nd would have been my first Sunday back, but everything canceled and all shut down because of the spreading pandemic, especially in the northeast, like New York!
I would have been exposed to more potentially positive COVID-19 people on Hilton Head, especially New Yorkers, than I was at the Cathedral on May 30th.
Yet there was more hysteria about the Cathedral from some, than about all the people I was around at a tourist hot spot for northerners, Hilton Head.
What do you make of all the hysteria and fear and are we to quarantine forever each time we come into contact with an infected person?
Fearless Catholics who are not completely insensitive to the fearful want to know.
27 comments:
stop worrying the WHO has changed it's "mind" again. Everyone just grow up it's the flu, and its over, no need for the mask of submission.
https://www.weaselzippers.us/450149-so-now-who-claims-asymptomatic-transmission-of-wuhan-coronavirus-is-very-rare/
I would respectfully disagree. Having just lost my closest friend to Covid 19, who died after an extraordinary amount of suffering, I dare say for some, it is not just ,"the flu". We need to be mindful of being carriers and possibly spreading it to others.
I can only speak personally, such as someone who has bad lungs, high BP, and a defective hyper autoimmune system already destroying joints, with nationwide figures of near 20% of we older folk who catch this virus ending up in hospitals, and a not insignificant portion of those hospitalized not leaving alive.
Your exposure at the ordination Mass seemed minimal, and below what infectious disease specialists say is the "hot zone" cloud of surrounding virus, which is same as baking bread or heat treating metal, a time@temperature thing of time/proximity in virus ingestion high enough to cause an infection the body cannot immediately snuff with own immune system. Most of you seemed to have not spent the requisite 15mins inside that cloud to increase risk,.... this all barring the bad fortune of catching a direct uncontrolled sneeze/cough from an infected person with/without a mask more holes than mask, or walking unknown through a recent cloud from same....
this based on both your recollections put down, as well as input from a blabbermouth squealer who just had to interject what he saw as if he just witnessed you all giving yourself lethal injections after the Mass.
The same goes for interactions at Mass....however, in my opinion, all bets are off once putting things into mouth or against lips is factored in.....spoons, glasses, dishes, served food....this is no different than licking handrails, pews, door knobs, even when maintaining spacing from a priest or waiter or fast food cashier....there is no way to know if somebody there is shedding virus with every breeze, step or head scratch...it matters not if any of those were sanitized at some point, if they were not sanitized immediately prior to placing in or against mouth, or nose or eyes rubbed with hand which touched them.
I have no idea at my church who handles communion wafers from when they are delivered and unboxed to when they show up for consecration...
at my church, the confessional remained in use the entire lockdown, and was only (maybe) wiped down weekly by same cleaning crew who did the sanctuary weekly which was left open for prayer and adoration. I find such sloppiness indicative that it doubtful hands are regloved or sanitized after handling box and before handling contents, I am fairly sure nobody there is being tested regularly, and this includes those consecrating and distributing hosts or whoever placed them in sacred vessels in the first place.
And if any at the altar are infected, those hosts surely bust the time/proximity thing handily, as surely as a silverware basket at a restaurant or prestaged rolled sets or whoever is pouring drinks. The primary method of infection has never changed, hand to face or item to face/mouth...the mask thing has ALWAYS mainly been to mitigate how much virus left laying around from those who simply cannot bother to contain sneezes or coughs, and the operative in all official guidance still remains MAY wear, MAY help contain, etc, which in military and government talk is very telling and specific, as if they had direct evidence, it WOULD be WILL help contain, MUST wear etc...
I shall be attending a Mass in the future, preferrably one where folk seem to be actually worshipping instead of going through Moose Lodge bored hocus pocus club membership signs, but as far as partaking of Holy Communion, not until this virus fizzles of own, or a vaccine developed, or at LEAST until a true nationwide regular testing of population for both live virus and antibodies is done so that we have some idea both as to what we are uo against, and infected people can be isolated BEFORE they feel sick enough to show up at a hospital or doctor office, where they likely by then have spread it about quite efficiently.
As to this being only a flu, when was the last flu season you saw heavy equipment brought in the bury the overwhelming numbers of dead rotting in unrefrigerated trucks used for lack of trucks with refrigerating available?
This may have been blown all out of proportion by shutdowns, and those required to stop a firestorm cause by still lacking PPE required for a safe reopening of society without kindling another firestorm, and where are all the people calling for the Defense Production Act to provide all citizens with true protective masks and gloves and proper education in their use, and even lacking rubbing alcohol in order to keep businesses safely open and taxes and paychecks flowing and churches open...
All forgotten over one media sensation of a pointless death due to excessive use of force by a police officer, and the excitement starved and ready for outrage bored populace just found their circus at which to howl for blood and be used for revolution by other players.
My opinion, the idiot child citizens are working very hard for their disaster, and not only would it be unfair to deny them that disaster, it would be even unjust. When it all goes down in flames, I just hope they turn on the rabble rousers first, as historically seems near a sure bet.
Bob,
That actually happened to Marat and Robespierre.
I hope things go well for you.
"Are we to shelter in place and quarantine ourselves each time we venture into the public where undoubtedly there are people positive with COVID-19 but have not been tested.
You've already answered your question.
You said, "When Jesus tells us “be not afraid” it isn’t a Pollyanna denial of deadly dangers to body and soul, but precisely to go forward in faith into the dangers of life and death united to Him. God keep you safe."
But, of course, this is completely opposed to the hysteria you and others gave into regrading the use of the Common Cup for communion. When it was the Common Cup, you were decrying its use as if you were calling out a mass murderer.
Now, all of a sudden, it's "Be Not Afraid."
Interesting...
a@4:33 and of course I have repeatedly said that we should not place our mouths on a chalice that has other's saliva on it or the dregs primarily the saliva of others. It can be pandemic causing and the chalice to the laity is not necessary for the validity of the Mass or the salvation of the communicant, the Mass itself is.
I would also not recommend kissing anyone on the mouth these days at the Kiss of Peace and in fact I am in favor of not restoring it. It isn't necessary for salvation although the Mass is.
So attending Mass and not being afraid is not the same as not being afraid to drinking COVID-19 spit on chalice rims or in the dregs of the chalice. I hope this helps you.
I think both of you, Father Squealer and Father McDonald, are possibly dead wrong, for others, about this. Were I to catch this virus with my health conditions, even though still active as able, still riding a motorcycle and making trips to shooting range, even though no excercise possible due to all joints ravaged, and walks in woods impossible due to skin reduced to bloody wet tissue paper in strength when a bush brushed against, this disease would be nearly certainly fatal for someone like me.
One of you can hardly wait to both distribute Holy Commmnunion and while jumping full force into active social life, the other cannot restrain himself in a fit #metoo virtue signalling by attending a literally spittle flecked mob demonstration of wildly gesturing sweat soaked people lasting hours while swilling from an open container and THEN offer Holy Mass to the innocent.
I sincerely doubt you will find a truly conscientious health care worker in an ICU heading out to party hardy or dine out with elegance, and those who have not had a conscience have been largely responsible for many a death at nursing homes and hospitals nationwide and worldwide. You both forget those dedicated people caring for others who even separated themselves from own families, not only to protect families, but also to protect those whose welfare they chose to protect for a living.
We are about where we were in mid/late March in daily infections and deaths, the firestorm was largely averted through only the shutdown, and you BOTH are largely acting as if it somehow has gone away, a disease which in this short time has already killed as many Americans as did the Hong Kong flu did in a solid year from 1969-1970.
You are not alone, but the nattering is mainly over a homemade cloth face covering or near equally useless surgical mask being a talisman against over an insidious nerve gas, versus, the nerve gas being a figment of overactive imaginations.
It is NEITHER...it is a deadly disease for a large portion of the population primarily spread via close proximity to virus shedding people exuding a corona of corona with every move, shake, step and sweat drop, and if you ingest enough of it, it WILL overhwelm your immune system, and if you do not ingest enough for that, then you surely make a dandy incubator and spreader in own right.
The proper defense at this time is STILL to stay away from others as much as possible, sanitize anything which approaches face before contact, and if sneezing and coughing uncontrollably, and unwilling to muffle a sneeze or cough, to please tie a muffler to your face to not make worse what you already might doing, which is sowing death and misery everywhere you might go.
I am NOT for a shutdown, but life is NOT back to normal, indicators are rising all over the nation, we still lack critical supplies such as N95 mask supplies for every citizen to dispose of after each use, there are NO gloves, and there is little enough of even basic alcohol with which to wipe, alcohol both fastest in action and harmless to most items, and critical since bleaching/peroxide/hot soapy water not an option for many items and materials ranging from wood, to leather, to auto interiors, many metals, etc...
And, again, normal flu does not overwhelm morgues, mortuaries, casket supplies, ERs, ICUs, and even cemetery ability to bury bodies.
As to the common cup, there is no telling how many trusting elderly or infirm people have ended up catching colds and flu which ended their lives prematurely, but in 50yrs the numbers would be massive, including young and old already weakened by disease and treatment.
Similarly, but not near the numbers, those also killed by wafers handled by those who were carrying same on hands and/or bodily, but lower only by virtue of less virus load in touch versus spittle.
This disease SHOULD ignite new care and concern over how wafers made, packaged, received, handled, stored and distributed, but, same as the current hijack and misuse of a police brutality incident into an excuse for riot, looting, and revolution by power players, so too, will this moment be lost regarding safe reception of The Bread Of Life be lost in the shuffle of power players in the Church trying to parlay this into advantage of political conservative or political socialist.
Bob, if you have these major health concerns and many people do, you have to be pro active, avoid Mass and certainly Holy Communion. You can make a spiritual Communion at home or at a daily Mass where you can socially distance. Or you can put it all into a God’s hands at let it be. Today, no matter where you go, you could come down with this virus.
Father McDonald, you bet your sweet bippie that is exactly what I am doing, and likely will ride through this ChiCom flu storm entirely unscathed, due to taking precautions such as minimizing time and closeness to those of unknown health, and by sanitizing hands after touching anything away from this house, and doing same to any objects brought into car or house.
I still have a life, only not so much just hanging with strangers indoors at close range, or visiting a store out of boredom, and eating out is out until things change. Still go to the outdoor range to improve long range marksmanship, still ride my funky old bike to a sidewalk cafe (and wipe exterior of cup and lid with an alcohol rag in a ziplock after purchase and before sipping). My life is not measured by those, but by how much time I spend loving God, which has picked up quite a bit in the vacuum of all the missing frivolities.
I'm also in a more high risk category (though not as serious as Bob), but have chosen to attend Mass since the churches reopened. I sit as far from others as possible, wear a mask, and exit through a less-busy side door. I hemmed and hawed about receiving communion, but ultimately didn't since I live in a diocese where communion in the hand is now mandatory - even in the Latin Mass.
I meant to put funky "old" bike in quotations marks as it actually is new and this shot was taken the day they put it together back last September, but before they took it then for a 12 mile shakedown and diagnotics, just before loading on a closed trailer and delivering to me with a tank full of gas and keys in ignition.
Perfect bike for an old man to take to a sidewalk cafe and watch the world go by. Only downside is rarely am left alone, always at least 20 mins spent explaining bike to curious passers-by. Great and safe ChiCom flu socializing aid.
[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/K8gvtBJ3/IMG-0142-JPG.jpg[/img][/url]
This disease should ignite new care and concern for how we LOVE our neighbor. In these utterly crazy times perhaps that means doing something uncomfortable like wearing a mask so as not to put your neighbor at risk. Or foregoing socializing for the time being. As long as we know that this virus can still kill people our first thoughts these days should be "am I doing everything I can to keep my neighbor safe.
Bob
when is the last time you saw incompetent mayors in two major cities forcing the flu infected into nursing homes, so as to not over burden the hospitals, which were never used for lack of patients, that is where the body count comes from, not to mention NY telling citizens to stay off the streets but to use the subway, it hadn't had a cleaning program in 30 years, total filth and if you read my link at the top the WHO is changing it's tune about transmission, after our economy is destroyed and there is rioting in the streets. never before has the healthy been "quarantined" instead of the sick. And if you are waiting for a vaccine, good luck, there is now worry that the whu flu is fading so fast that a vaccine will never be able to be tested properly. The increase in cases is now coming from increased testing. I am waiting for this to slow down because i want to be tested, I'm convinced i had it in late Jan early Feb
The simple thing would have been to do as Germany did, keep the elderly in lock down and the hospital patients segregated and urge cleaning and caution
The shutdown was for naught
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/who-briefing-dr-maria-van-kerkhove-says-asymptomatic-covid-19
Infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove during a Monday World Health Organization press briefing indicated that it seems to be "rare" for an asymptomatic COVID-19 carrier to spread the illness to others.
“We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing – they are following asymptomatic cases, they are following contacts and they are not finding secondary transmission onward, it’s very rare,” Kerkhove said according to Fox News. “Much of that is not published in the literature.”
“We’re constantly looking at this data, and we’re trying to get more information from countries to truly answer this question,” she said according to the outlet. “It still appears to be rare that an asymptomatic individual actually transmits onward.”
Areas around the U.S. have been emerging from protracted coronavirus-related lockdowns and restrictions.
There have been more than 110,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the country according to Johns Hopkins University.
As a healthcare worker, you would think I could give an easy answer as to what is right and what is wrong, whether this is a hoax or a matter of life or death. But I can’t. I’m probably no better off than the average person, hearing every theory, every opinion, every suggestion, and to be honest, I really don’t think there is a 100% “this is the right answer“. For example, Walmart makes efforts to encourage social distancing, wearing masks, and we’re still told to self isolate as much as possible. Yet at this point, people are shopping as if this virus never happened.Yet at the same time, the same people who are piled up on top of each other at the store are being told that their kids are going to have to attend school in a different way this coming fall, with the possibility of not even being able to participate in the fine arts. This doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m big on consistency, and it’s just not happening. I was telling one of my coworkers that this reminds me of the expression attributed to Albert Einstein, and while I’m not quoting it right, you get the message: I’d rather believe that there is a God and to find out later there is not, than to refuse to believe, and then find out there was. So I would rather wear a mask, self isolate, and be very mindful of spreading this virus, and to find out all of this was unnecessary, than to be slack, take very few precautions, only to find out that lives could’ve been saved from some very simple inconveniences.The other thing though that has really struck me is how people have reacted to the closing of our Catholic churches.I do believe that there are some people who are sincerely hurt deep in their hearts because they cannot come to church and pray freely, cannot receive the Eucharist, and just feel like there has been such a loss. and there has been.But I’ve also been surprised (well,maybe not really) at the anger and disrespect some people have expressed towards our priests and other leaders for following recommended guidelines. From refusing to give an offering , as if you pay to attend a “real“ Mass, and if you can’t do so, then you’re just not going to financially support the church, to complaining loudly and publicly about the social distancing efforts that have been made in order to open the churches up, It’s incredible. For myself, I’ve gone from skepticism to frustration to sadness to disappointment, but now I’m trying to focus on hope. Hope that no more lives are lost from this virus. Hope that everyone will work towards being less selfish and more about the greater good, even if things seem useless or ridiculous, as long as we are not being asked to do anything that might bring harm on ourselves or others. Wearing a mask and washing our hands- it’s not too much to ask. Hope that we will be able to return to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with enthusiasm, love, and respect, hopefully more than we did before these changes were implemented.And I hope that we as individuals will be changed for the better because of this experience. I know I am hoping for this for myself. God bless you all.
Fr. McDonald - Thank you for your post at 4:54 in which you 1) agree with my position and 2) prove my point.
You are terrified of the use of the Common Cup which has NOT been shown to cause deadly outbreaks of plague, lunacy, bad breath, loose denture, or any other such malady.
Yet you say "Be Not Afraid" in the face of the coronavirus which has killed 404,000 worldwide and 114,000 in the U.S.
Got it.
Evidently, Rockville center diocese is terrified of both the common chalice and offering the Host to the laity. I wonder why?
I wish you weren't a no-nothing, but you are. I developed a very serious intestinal infection which my doctor confirmed came from a bacteria that I consumed which was the ablutions of the common chalice at our daily Mass here in Richmond Hill. I was critically ill and in Rome when this happened and barely made it back to Richmond Hill to start antibiotic treatments.
One of our permanent deacons, a GI doctor developed a very serious intestinal infection and nearly died from it. He told me that he cleanses all the common chalices at Mass and drinks the ablutions and he knows that is where he picked up the bacteria.
The common chalice spreads germs, viruses and bacteria that can be deadly and if COVID-19 saliva is on it it can be deadly to the poor unsuspecting person.
So stop the nonsense and permanently stop the common chalice before you get the Church into nation wide law suits over it and the sickness and death it can cause.
I recommend intinction which I offered to our First Communicants the last two Sundays. Perfect!
First, it's "Know-Nothing," not no-nothing.
Second, your doctor did not "confirm" you had an infection caused by consuming the ablutions. He may have said it could have been the source. It was not "confirmed." I will stand corrected when you post the lab reports.
"One of our permanent deacons, a GI doctor developed a very serious intestinal infection and nearly died from it. He told me that he cleanses all the common chalices at Mass and drinks the ablutions and he knows that is where he picked up the bacteria."
No, he doesn't "know where he picked up the bacteria." You've been telling us for weeks now that DEADLY viruses and bacteria are all around us all the time and that we can't do anything about it unless we cower in bunkers.
He could have gotten it anywhere.
The only nonsense is your "Fear The Common Cup" which has not been shown to cause the plague, but "Be Not Afraid" of coronavirus which has killed 400K.
Thank you for agreeing with me and proving my point - again.
Hello anonymous,
All the arguments I hear about the common chalice being less likely to spread COVID 19 are baseless. The most irresponsible one I have heard is that the alcohol in the wine will kill any germs that are present. That's nonsense. There isn't enough alcohol in that wine to kill a flea, never mind a deadly bacteria. When I finish distributing the Precious Blood as a Eucharistic minister, I dread having to consume the leftover wine. It's like swallowing a "Petri Dish" Father is correct in saying intiction is the way to go.
Hello Anonymous 4:32,
There's no record of an outbreak of disease from use of the Common Cup. Yet, Fr. McDonald says, "Fear It! Banish it! Destroy All Memory Of It!"
There are 400K people dead worldwide from Covid-19, 114K in the U.S., in just the last 4 months and Fr. McDonald says. "Be Not Afraid! You Can't Live in Fear! Be Brave!"
And that makes sense how...?
Hello Anonymous 6:53
I hear you. The way you have just expressed it does present quite the contradiction.
Now I cannot speak for Father of course, but here is my take on this. Firstly, I am from NYC and unfortunately I happen to live 2 zip codes away from the epicenter in Queens. If Father would tell me to " Be not Afraid" I would probably tell him something that cannot be printed here. I believe his experience of the virus is quite different in the South. As the old saying goes " when I see it, I'll believe it ". And again, I cannot speak for Father, but I would wonder if that perspective would change if he lived by Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. Because I can tell you we've been scared to death with no bravery in sight.
Now regarding the common chalice, this is something we can control as a simple act of " loving our neighbor ". The common chalice might not be responsible for the bubonic plague, but common sense dictates that we remove it now for the protection of others, if for no other reason than the possibility does exist that someone could contract COVID. It is the safe and loving thing to do right now, and as we all know that sometimes the sacrifice involved is hard. I get it. And I also see the contradiction you are speaking about and just offer you these thoughts in response to your question. If Father had anything to add it would be welcome.
Anonymous 7:49 Just over a month ago I read of two New York congregations, one Catholic and the other Lutheran, who had lost a combined 105 members to Covid-19 in 10 weeks. St. Bartholomew in Elmhurst, a location you mention, had, by then, lost 64 members. St. Peter Lutheran Church in Manhattan had lost, at that point, 41 members. I write to both pastors to offer my sympathy and prayerful support.
Coronavirus hit NY hard before we knew what HAD to be done to protect everyone. Here in the South we have known and done what is necessary, but people are growing complacent and cocky and acting foolishly.
"In fact, our Covid-19 numbers are up. They had begun to level off as hard-hit New York brought its infections under control, but now other hotspots are emerging. Arizona, Florida, and Texas, along with fifteen other states, are seeing increases in Covid-19 cases. Already, more than 112,000 Americans have died and more than 1.9 million are infected, and from now until July 4, epidemiologists predict 5,000 to 6,000 Americans a week will die from the disease."
Death rates, hospitalization rates, infection rates are on the rise, and all of this, tellingly, traceable to Memorial Day and the lack of safe practice we saw all over the news.
"Be Not Afraid" has to be an essential part of a Christian's life. "Be Not Foolish" is also a necessary element, as is "Be Not Selfish."
New York and the west coast more than likely had the most severe strain of COVID-19 having had direct exposure from Chinese visitors and Italian visitors. As it radiated from there, the strain more than likely weakened.
Atlanta and Albany, GA had the largest number of cases. In Albany, the infection came from a black minister from Atlanta who went to Albany to perform two funerals in black baptist or Pentecostal churches. As we have seen from George Floyd's funerals, there is great emotion and excitement in black Protestant funerals, a lot of sweating and shouting and singing. One can see how the virus could spread easily in that environment and there is a lot of hugging and kissing, cradling and the like.
From those two funerals from the same church, the virus spread primarily to the black community in Albany and overwhelmed the two hospitals there.
It is not racism to point out that the black culture and its emotionalism especially in their churches could lead to a epidemic if something highly contagious as COVID's strongest strain gets to them.
But with that said, the strains of COVID-19 in the south were not as virulent as in the north and west. And we are not as densely packed in our neighborhoods, except maybe Atlanta.
Good morning Anonymous 9:58
Your last sentence sums things up beautifully. I think it should become a new motto until the crisis passes.
Thank you!
The "weaker" strain idea isn't popular among epidemiologists.
"Viruses, including the one causing COVID-19, naturally accumulate mutations – or changes – in their genetic sequence as they spread through populations. Scientists said most of these changes will have no effect on the biology of the coronavirus or the aggressiveness of the disease they cause." - Science Focus 6 May 2020
“In all practical terms, the virus is as it was when it originally emerged,” says Jones. “There’s no evidence it is getting any worse.” The sentiment is echoed by the World Health Organization. The study by Tang and colleagues only suggests there is some genetic diversity of the virus – it doesn’t mean it is changing, a representative told New Scientist.
“There do appear to be two different strains,” says Ravinder Kanda at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. “[The L-type] might be more aggressive in transmitting itself, but we have no idea yet how these underlying genetic changes will relate to disease severity,” she says.
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2236544-coronavirus-are-there-two-strains-and-is-one-more-deadly/#ixzz6P4agVXKb
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