Coronavirus (COVID-19): If you are going to church ....

In the time of COVID-19, simple decisions have become harder.  While I used to be in autopilot on Sunday morning to roll out of bed, stumble into the car, and head off to church, that decision is no longer easy or simple.

If you are thinking of going to church while COVID-19 is still raging across the United States or if you are part of a church leadership team trying to decide how and when to offer services, I hope that the information in this blog is useful.

At church, 

one of the highest risks of spreading COVID-19 comes from those who are singing or speaking, particularly those who are doing so for any significant length of time.  While the risk of spreading COVID-19 from singing or speaking is minimized by wearing a mask, the reality of the situation is that masks tend to muffle speech and distort singing, so the temptation for singers and speakers to remove their masks while singing and speaking will be high.  Even in a church that requires face masks for everyone, exposure risk will be elevated by these natural patterns of human behavior.  

At church,

while social distancing (i.e. remaining six feet away from anyone outside your immediate household) does help to reduce the risk of exposure and infection, the latest science is telling us that it is the aerosols from singing and speaking that tend to hang around or "float' in the air for the longest time.   The larger aerosols or droplets from coughing or sneezing tend to drop our of the air much more quickly.  The droplets from singing and speaking can hang around for several hours after the individual who released them has left the area. This means that someone who was speaking or singing without a mask in the previous service could have left infectious droplets in the air for you to breathe, even if you remain socially distant from those around you.  

It's important to remember that face masks primarily protect others and not the person wearing the mask.   In an indoor space, the lowest risk of exposure happens when all individuals are wearing face masks. The latest science is telling us is that if we all wore face masks in public, the spread of COVID-19 would stop altogether.  That's an awesome motivation to wear one consistently and properly.  

Any face mask that does not cover the nose and mouth or that is worn in such a way that the nose and mouth are not covered has lost its protective value.   This includes hard plastic face masks with gaps near the nose, face masks worn only over the mouth, and bandanas, masks, or other clothing that fail to make uniform contact with the face, leaving gaps where infected aerosols can escape and travel into the air space of others.  

While being outdoors reduces the risk of COVID-19 exposure, it does not eliminate it.  Stationing greeters outside the main entrance of the church does not eliminate risk.  Chances are that other voices and background music are going to cause greeters to speak more loudly and succumb to the temptation of lowering or removing their face masks to be heard.   And, the main entrance of most churches will make six feet of social distancing hard to maintain.  Under these conditions, the relative safety of the outdoors can be easily compromised as loud or elevated voices push potentially infected aerosols directly into the face of another parishioner.   

As what we know about COVID-19 continues to evolve, it can seem incredibly complicated to make what used to be a simple decision -- should I go to church or not?  If your church remains closed, your church leadership is opting for the simplest and safest way to reduce the likelihood that COVID-19 will be transmitted within your congregation.  If your church has re-opened, there are many things that can be done to keep everyone safe, but it requires the effort of many to do so. 

The bottom line for attending or leading church services in the continuing pandemic, especially in the United States where COVID-19 is out of control in so many areas, is:  

• Wear a proper face mask, wear it properly, and keep the mask on no matter what you are doing, and no matter whether you are indoors or out.  
• Keep at least six feet away from those who are not in your immediate household.   Hug with your words and not with your arms.

Stay safe, wear a face mask, and in so doing, Love one Another...

For more information about topics in environmental health, please visit Coming Alongside at www.comingalongside.org.