Swine flu scare hasn't affected area churches

You might think that inter-species diseases are a thing of the movies, but in reality viruses, bacteria, and fungus jump between the species they attack. The recent H1N1 pig flu virus had genes from bird flu, and when it migrated to humans, it acquired human genes.
Vaccines try to prevent inter-species viruses and include immunity against variations of H1N1, H3N2, H1N2. Viral mutations are not fiction, and vaccination and potent anti-virals are some of our weapons.

Bethel Baptist Church members likely had holier things than the swine flu in mind when they took a monthly communion two Sundays ago, at the height of national concern about a deadly viral outbreak.

The flu hasn't been a problem here, and plus, the Watkinsville church's members for a long time have taken communion using pre-packaged single servings of bread and wine, said Bethel deacon Marvin Nunnally.

A late member who worked as a nurse suggested the seemingly germ-free method of communion - with a wafer sealed above a small, separately sealed cup - about a decade ago, and the congregation hasn't looked back, Nunnally said.

"You feel real good about it, and it's great," he said, but added, "The wine don't taste the same."

As the number of swine flu cases confirmed around the world climbed sharply in recent weeks, topping 1,600 in the United States, some U.S. Christian churches have made hygienic changes to their services.

Catholic bishops in large cities and states hard-hit by the H1N1 virus at one point were advising priests not to offer communion wine served in a common chalice as part of the sacrament. Some also suggested skipping the "sign of peace" handshake during mass or canceled mass altogether.

Since then, experts' fear of a deadly global pandemic stemming from the swine flu largely have subsided, though.

And in Georgia, where the virus outbreak has been almost nil, large church organizations haven't ordered any changes, though they're aware people might have concerns.

In a post titled "Swine Flu, Hygiene and Holy Communion," the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church recently offered some communion-related flu information on its Web site to ease people's worries.

"It is natural that church leaders and members are wondering about the risk of participating in worship, including hand-shaking, hugging, and sharing the bread and cup of Holy Communion," the post says.

But the conference hasn't felt it necessary to advise local congregations to do anything differently, said the Rev. Jamie Jenkins, executive assistant to the congregation's presiding bishop.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta also hasn't instructed local parishes to change the Eucharist, said Pat Chivers, an archdiocese spokeswoman.

Eucharistic ministers are taught year-round to wash their hands while preparing communion, she said.

"That's already a common rule, and that is the best precaution," she said.

However, the archdiocese has been reminding people who feel sick or know they're infected to stay home to avoid passing along an illness, Chivers said.

"It's not a sin to miss mass because you're sick," she said.

Athens-area congregations don't seem to have made any flu-inspired changes to the sacrament recently, either.

"We didn't change anything," said the Rev. Edwin Beckham, associate rector at Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

Altering the Eucharist for a while to avoid the common cup wouldn't break with Episcopal theology, Beckham said.

"You're still consuming the body and blood of Christ, and that's what's important," he said.

Still, he said, having chalice-bearers wipe off the cup and turn it for each new person is sanitary, maybe even more than having parishioners each dip a wafer - and thus, maybe a finger, too - into the wine.

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Biotechnology advances have allowed us to understand viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens better than ever before. We use genetic engineering, DNA sequencing, microarrays, PCR, and other genomic and proteomic tools to understand pathogens better.

We've also developed vaccines and potent antivirals and antibiotics that fight diseases. A proof of this is how much longer life expectancy is Today than it was before the 1940's when antibiotics were invented.

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