Science says going to Mass is safe in China virus time

A study by members of the Thomistic Institute Working Group on Infectious Disease Protocols for Sacraments & Pastoral care published a study in Real Clear Science that showed that there have been no examples of local outbreaks of COVID19 due to Masses that followed social distancing guidelines.

Even though asymptomatic carriers of COVID19 attended some Masses there was no evidence they spread the disease.

The study says:

“For Catholic churches following [the] guidelines, no outbreaks of COVID-19 have been linked to church attendance, even though we have examples ... of asymptomatic, unknowingly infected individuals attending mass and other parish functions,” they wrote. “Their attendance could have led to an outbreak if appropriate precautions were not followed, yet in each case, we found no evidence of viral transmission.”
“This encouraging news should inspire confidence that the guidelines in place - based on CDC recommendations - are working to decrease COVID-19 transmission,” the doctors continued. “While nothing during a pandemic is risk-free, these guidelines mean that Catholics (and public officials) may be confident that it’s reasonably safe to come to Church for Mass and the sacraments.”

This is more evidence that Mass is safe when common sense guidelines are followed and that bans on church services have no basis in science.

Of course as with all other China virus rules we need to keep in mind that while people under 40 are at no more risk of death than from the flu those over 70 are at a much greater risk so maintaining the dispensation from having to attend Mass is still a reasonable thing.