Last Sunday I was poking fun at my wife (who is a United Methodist minister as well as a shrink). There on the altar next to the Communion elements was a bottle of that hand-washing gel. It seems, she said, that it gives the congregation some comfort, especially during flu season, for them to see her wash her hands before serving Communion.
Now I am reading stories nationwide about churches who are taking even more precautions. One Bishop has told parishioners to stop shaking hands through Easter. But as you will read, there is no proof that Communion and the flu are linked at all.
The Idaho Press-Tribune says that as the flu season progresses, churches that now use a "common cup," that is, everybody drinks from the same cup, may use the intinction method, where a congregate dunks the bread or wafer into the cup. But I found an Anglican Church in Canada that said:
There is, however, real concern that many of the modes of intinction used in parishes do not diminish the threat of infection, and some may actually increase it. Hands, children's and adult's, are at least as likely to be a source of infection (often more so) as lips. Receiving the wafer in the hands and then intinction it means that the wafer, now contaminated by the hand of the recipient, is placed in the wine -- thus spreading the infection to it. Dipping the wafer into the wine also means that the wafer picks up any bacteria that might be in the wine. So this offers no protection to the communicant.
The Idaho Press-Tribune story says:
Bishop Kenneth Angell has told Vermont Catholics that, because of the flu vaccine shortage, they should abstain from the Mass customs of sharing a chalice and shaking hands. In Maine, Bishop Richard Malone said sharing a chalice and handshakes were always optional and that churchgoers should consider forgoing those practices if they have the flu or are worried about getting it.
The Catholic News Service adds:
The Cleveland Diocese took a different tack, however. It suggested added health precautions such as having ministers of Communion wash their hands just before Mass, but it left specific changes in liturgical practice up to local discretion.
It asked pastors and other liturgical ministers to discuss the issues and let "common sense, pastoral sensitivity, and proper hygiene be the guide."
It advised that "ministers of holy Communion should make certain to wipe both the inside and outside rim of the chalice after each communicant has received."
It said that, besides washing hands before Mass, those who are to distribute Communion may wish to wipe their hands discreetly with an alcohol-based antibacterial solution just before going up to begin distributing Communion.
In a Web posting Nov. 3., the bishops' national Secretariat for Liturgy said that bishops could decide to adapt liturgical practices "in those localities where the outbreak of the disease has been the most significant," but "widespread liturgical adaptations" across the country did not seem necessary yet.
The posting, "Ten Questions on Influenza and the Liturgy," is available at www.usccb.org/liturgy/influenza.shtml.
The story continues:
The Cleveland Diocese said that, even if parishes institute no changes, "no one should be made to feel embarrassed or looked at negatively should he or she choose to make a reverent bow" in place of a handshake at the sign of peace.
We saw similar stories last year, even when there was not as severe a shortage of vaccine. In San Francisco, Colorado Springs, and Reno churches were stopping the use of a shared cup.
Is there really a threat of catching the flu from Communion cups? I have found discussions on this question going back more than 100 years in medical journal Lancet.
The short answer to the question is that there is no proven connection between Communion cups and the spread of illness.
The Center for Disease Control says it has been answering the question for more than 20 years. In 1998, the CDC included this statement in the American Journal of Infection Control:
For more than two decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated an official position to inquirers (e.g., lay public, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals) about the risk of infectious disease transmission from a common communion cup. Although no documented transmission of any infectious disease has ever been traced to the use of a common communion cup, a great deal of controversy surrounds this issue; the CDC still continues to receive inquiries about this topic. In this letter, the CDC strives to achieve a balance of adherence to scientific principles and respect for religious beliefs.
Within the CDC, the consensus of the National Center for Infectious Diseases and the National Center for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis is that a theoretic risk of transmitting infectious diseases by using a common communion cup exists, but that the risk is so small that it is undetectable. The CDC has not been called on to investigate any episodes or outbreaks of infectious diseases that have been allegedly linked to the use of a common communion cup. However, outbreaks or clusters of infection might be difficult to detect if: (1) a high prevalence of disease (e.g., infectious mononucleosis, influenza, herpes, strep throat, common cold) exists in the community, (2) diseases with oral routes of transmission have other modes of transmission (i.e., fecal-oral, hand-to-mouth/nose, airborne), (3) the length of the incubation period for the disease is such that other opportunities for exposure cannot be ruled out unequivocally, and (4) no incidence data exist for comparison purposes (i.e., the disease is not on the reportable disease list and therefore is not under public health surveillance).
Experimental studies have shown that bacteria and viruses can contaminate a common communion cup and survive despite the alcohol content of the wine. Therefore, an ill person or asymptomatic carrier drinking from the common cup could potentially expose other members of the congregation to pathogens present in saliva. Were any diseases transmitted by this practice, they most likely would be common viral illnesses, such as the common cold. However, a recent study of 681 persons found that people who receive Communion as often as daily are not at higher risk of infection compared with persons who do not receive communion or persons who do not attend Christian church services at all.
In summary, the risk for infectious disease transmission by a common communion cup is very low, and appropriate safeguards -- that is, wiping the interior and exterior rim between communicants, use of care to rotate the cloth during use, and use of a clean cloth for each service -- would further diminish this risk. In addition, churches may wish to consider advising their congregations that sharing the communion cup is discouraged if a person has an active respiratory infection (i.e., cold or flu) or moist or open sores on their lips (e.g., herpes).
As a United Kingdom health journal put simply and clearly in 1988:
No episode of disease attributable to the shared communion cup has ever been reported. Currently available data do not provide any support for suggesting that the practice of sharing a common communion cup should be abandoned because it might spread infection.
Deer-Car Collisions Rising
I have seen a lot of these stories in the last few days. Here is one from The Daily Star in New York.
...as the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, body shops gear up for the deluge of cars with crushed hoods and shattered headlights caused by deer-vs.-car accidents. Brian Rutherford, owner of Quality Body Shop in Walton, said the number of deer-crumpled cars always picks up this time of year.
"I have only had a couple so far, but there will be more," Rutherford said.
Bill Banks, owner of Hillside Body Shop in Walton, said deer damage on cars is usually costly, with average repairs ranging from $1,500 to $3,000, but because the repairs involve replacing parts and very little painting, they are usually fairly quick fixes.
"I love to hunt, so I know that the cold, rainy weather means the deer will be running and business will be booming," Banks said ...
"I hate to admit it, but it's good for business," Banks said. "Almost all of the repairs are covered by insurance, and they are high-ticket items."
A study for CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report said, for example, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky alone, an astonishing 11,648 persons were involved in 6,813 motor-vehicle collisions with deer between 1987 and 1989. Seventy percent of the crashes occurred at night, and 94 percent occurred on unlighted roads.
According to CDC data that I have looked at, October and November are the worst months for car versus animal crashes. And deer-car crashes injure far more drivers than any other kind of vehicle-animal collision. Eighty-six percent of all injuries from such crashes involving vehicles and animals involve deer. About another 13 percent involve horses, cows, bulls, and moose. (See table 2)
What to Do if You Have a Deer in the Headlights
The Tennessean, in Nashville, includes this advice:
Are you better off yanking the steering wheel and stomping the brakes in an attempt to avoid the collision? Or should you avoid an emergency maneuver and stay in the lane?
Those are not dumb questions. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that only half of all injuries in animal-motor vehicle crashes result from collision with the animal. The other half or so result from the driver trying to avoid hitting the animal, and the vehicle rolls over or goes off the road.
Drivers, of course, should consider the unique circumstances of each encounter with a deer -- including traffic, road, and weather conditions -- before making the decision.
Drive defensively
To protect the deer, your passengers, and yourself, AAA makes these suggestions:
• Buckle up. Your odds of walking away from a collision with a deer improve dramatically if you and all your passengers are wearing seat belts.
• Slow down. Driving at or below the speed limit improves your chances of stopping safely if a deer runs in front of you.
• Use your high beams and watch for the reflection of deer's eyes and their silhouettes on the shoulders of roads.
• Take note of deer-crossing signs. They're not placed arbitrarily.
• If you see one deer, slow down and keep your eyes focused for more. And remember the exact spot where you saw a deer cross the road. They are creatures of habit and often use the same paths again.
Drive to survive
If it becomes clear that you won't be able to avoid colliding with a deer:
• Don't swerve. Few drivers die or are seriously injured in a collision with a deer -- except when they try to dodge it, and veer into oncoming traffic, a tree or off the road.
• Brake until the last fraction of a second before impact, then let off your brakes. This will cause the front end of your car to rise, increasing the odds that the struck deer will pass underneath your car, instead of being launched into your windshield and seriously injuring you or your passengers.
• If you do strike a deer, do not touch it or try to move it yourself. Despite your kind intentions, an injured deer might panic and startle or injure you. Call police or other authorities for assistance.
Fewer Death Sentences
The Justice Department says that the number of people sentenced to death reached a 30-year low in 2003. It was the third year in a row that the number of people sent to death row dropped. (Full report PDF format)
Last Minute Beer and Pop-Tarts
It turns out that a lot of my neighbors who were rushing to Wal-Mart before the hurricanes a couple of months ago were apparently buying strawberry Pop-Tarts and beer.
Wal-Mart says Pop-Tart sales were up seven times their normal rate before the storm. Wal-Mart tracks such things and says in terms of sales, beer was the number one storm preparation item. And you thought we were buying candles and batteries.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts, and other materials from a variety of websites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed, and a link will be provided, whenever possible.
OK, I admit it- I rolled my eyes when I...
