Christmas, church, and illnesses

[athena1277]

I’ve come to dread the weeks after Christmas because every year some bad illness spreads like wildfire at church.  It takes until nearly the end of January to go through everyone.  It’s like someone just had to go see grandma and go to church even though they were sick, and now everyone is suffering for it.  The building is cleaned twice a week and one of the ministers is a germophobe who will carry Lysol around and spray doorknobs and other surfaces until it’s hard to breathe, but it doesn’t help.  I wish people would realize that it’s ok to miss Christmas and/or church if you are at all sick.  It would be a great Christmas gift to the rest of us!

Does anyone else notice this happening right after Christmas?  We are already starting on elderberry and wash hands after using the bathroom or when we come home from places.  What else do you do to avoid this, besides hibernating to avoid everyone?

[HS Mom in NC]

Remember that people are contagious before they show symptoms for most contagious illnesses. Too many people are unaware of this and have unrealistic expectations because of it.    If you want to avoid illness, you have to avoid people entirely.  Being at an airport and on a plane exposes people to all sorts of illness from everywhere.  Then those people meet up with friends and family and expose them even before a single symptom shows itself. Any close quarters situation with large numbers of people is a breeding ground for illness: churches, theaters, subways, classrooms, offices, stores, public venues, etc. It's just the nature of the beast. Decide what matters most to you: avoiding illness or being with people outside your immediate household.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Homeschool Mom in AZ
misleading phrasing

[Guest]

I don’t notice this especially related to church and Christmas. It doesn’t seem correlated to anything IME except that it’s simply winter, more people are sick, and defenses are down from realities like cold weather and being indoors a lot. 

Now, having said that, it does seem as though, without exception, there is that instance of sitting in church and noticing someone behind keeps hacking their head off or sniffles a thousand times. Happens at least once per winter. I try not to breathe throughout the service, lol! 

[Guest]

PS, I also meant to say what Homeschool Mom said: people can go to church or grandma’s house contagious before they feel ill. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I know that there are people who will expose others on Christmas that would not do it any other time.

Also, there are usually more people visiting from out of the area, sometimes bearing germs that not everyone local has yet.

I think it's kind of inevitable that there is more contagion then.  

[rebcoola]

I think it's both people definitely tough it out and go because of family/holidays traditions and guilt. 

Also the contagious before being sick.  I'm sure we exposed a zillion people Friday to stomach flu. No one felt sick at all on Friday by 2am Saturday everyone had puked at least once.

 

 

[HS Mom in NC]

31 minutes ago, Quill said:

 

Now, having said that, it does seem as though, without exception, there is that instance of sitting in church and noticing someone behind keeps hacking their head off or sniffles a thousand times. Happens at least once per winter. I try not to breathe throughout the service, lol! 

I agree that there are people who do this and they shouldn't.  I was ready to go to church Wednesday night for the monthly communion service, but half an hour before I planned to leave I felt nauseated and stayed home. It turned out to be nothing, but how could I know for sure?  I just stayed home as a precaution.

I wish it were the social norm here to wear masks in public during times of increased illness like it is in parts of  Asia.  I wish we would adopt Asian bowing customs to avoid handshaking and hugging.  Also, I don't want a hug from a stranger, but tragically, it's the norm at church during greeting time in The South. I miss being at a church that didn't do greeting time.  People just chatted before and after the service and shook hands when they met for the first time. 

[klmama]

2 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

I don't want a hug from a stranger, but tragically, it's the norm at church during greeting time in The South. I miss being at a church that didn't do greeting time.  People just chatted before and after the service and shook hands when they met for the first time. 

The very youthful worship leader at our church has people exchange fist bumps in the winter.  When illness goes rampant in our city, people just exchange greetings.  It seemed a bit weird to me at first to fist bump or do nothing at all, but I've gotten used to it.  It helps those who don't feel comfortable saying they prefer not to shake hands.

[HS Mom in NC]

5 minutes ago, klmama said:

The very youthful worship leader at our church has people exchange fist bumps in the winter.  When illness goes rampant in our city, people just exchange greetings.  It seemed a bit weird to me at first to fist bump or do nothing at all, but I've gotten used to it.  It helps those who don't feel comfortable saying they prefer not to shake hands.

I'm not excited about fist bumping, it seems too juvenile to me, but it's better than handshaking and hugging. 

[May]

DH is more aware of germs being spread during flu season then I am. I just never think of this when I’m in church. With that said, I’ve haven’t had the flu in years and usually get two colds a year. I’m sure when I get knocked down with the flu, it will change my perspective. 

[PrincessMommy]

1 hour ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

I agree that there are people who do this and they shouldn't.  I was ready to go to church Wednesday night for the monthly communion service, but half an hour before I planned to leave I felt nauseated and stayed home. It turned out to be nothing, but how could I know for sure?  I just stayed home as a precaution.

I wish it were the social norm here to wear masks in public during times of increased illness like it is in parts of  Asia.  I wish we would adopt Asian bowing customs to avoid handshaking and hugging.  Also, I don't want a hug from a stranger, but tragically, it's the norm at church during greeting time in The South. I miss being at a church that didn't do greeting time.  People just chatted before and after the service and shook hands when they met for the first time. 

I feel the same way about holding hands to pray.  yuck.   And it's usually just before we eat at gatherings... even grosser.  I don't have to do it in EO situations but with my Protestant friends/family it's very common and I now flat our refuse.

[ScoutTN]

My pediatrician says the typically high sugar intake around Christmas also weakens people's inmune systems. Stress too.

[frogger]

I am a culprrit at times. Music programs and my daughter's youth symphony where she is the principal harp is not things we can simply skip especially where there are major harp parts. No one can take her place. We wash hands, avoid potlucks, etc and go on with life. 

[alisoncooks]

My husband bumps elbows. (Yes, it looks weird. And yes, it baffles most people.)

He started it when going through chemo, but now only reverts back to it when he has a cold. 

[Carol in Cal.]

57 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

My husband bumps elbows. (Yes, it looks weird. And yes, it baffles most people.)

He started it when going through chemo, but now only reverts back to it when he has a cold. 

This reminds me of Young Frankenstein.  “Taffeta, taffeta.”

[Chris in VA]

Our old church had hand sanitizer in the pew. I would use it before and after passing the Peace (which is a lovely part of our liturgical service and for us, not merely a greeting). 

This is controversial, but I also have stopped receiving Eucharistic wine. While I embrace the idea of the Common Cup and believe the research that shows it does not "spread germs," I have stopped receiving it. (Intinction, that is, dipping the Host in the wine, has also been accused of spreading germs but has also been cleared.) I feel like I don't get sick as often, but I don't think it has anything to do with not receiving--but it may. 

[catz]

We have been much healthier since instituting a more rigorous handwashing policy.  Sometimes we'll stop into the bathroom on our way out the door to wash hands when we are somewhere particularly germy.  I've gotten way more mindful about where my hands have been prior to eating, etc over the years.  We also use elderberry all winter.  I have hardly had a sniffle the past 3 years.  I do get flu shots too.

Edited December 10, 2019 by FuzzyCatz

[sassenach]

We got hit VERY hard last year with multiple viruses, one of which landed my special needs guy into the hospital. I’m usually all about holding babies but a few Sundays ago my friend’s baby coughed directly in my face and I realized that I’m not willing to take my chances anymore. I think I’m going to be a winter Scrooge from now on. Which is really too bad, because I’m a hugger. 

[barnwife]

As we are pulling in the driveway from wherever we have been, my kids know I am going to say, "When we go in, we will wash our hands with SOAP and water. Don't bring germs in my house!"  And they are pretty darn good about following through once we get in the house. If I suspect they haven't, I become "mean mom" as they say, and I help them do it.

I was more lax about it, until my dad became immunocompromised. Then I become pretty militant about it. He had pancreatic cancer, so I knew we most likely wouldn't have much time left with him. I was not going to allow being sick to further cut down on visits if I didn't have to. Thankfully, it's a habit that has stuck around.

Also, like a pp, I don't receive the Blood during communion at church. (FWIW, we are Catholic.) Receiving the Blood is not a requirement (we believe the Body and Blood, under the auspices of bread and wine, both contain the fullness of Christ - that is the soul and divinity of Christ) if one receives the Body. And vice versa, althoughI'd only go that way if I was GF. I know that Jesus (the Body and Blood) can't be contaminated. And I know it's shown that it doesn't pose a risk, but I rarely chance it, and when I do, it's almost always outside of flu season.




 

[Susan in TX]

You might want to consider using a humidifier in your house. Studies have shown that flu virus is not as easily spread if the air is not dry. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20130228/higher-indoor-humidity-levels-might-slow-flus-spread#1

Susan in TX

[mumto2]

I skipped the church’s Women’s Christmas Party this year.  Everyone loves the ornament exchange and several attended with pretty, shall I call them active, colds last year because they did not want to miss it.  I brought the ick home even though I purpled several times and we were all varying degrees of sick for Christmas.  My family was pretty relieved when I said I was skipping the party this year.  Actually had an honest to goodness conflict so skipping was easy but I have to say I no longer trust the group in regards to that event.  It was a germ minefield!

I have also stopped drinking tea and coffee out of real cups at churches and community centers unless I know the washing up standards are super high.  I keep my Yeti filled with hot tea that I either bring with me if appropriate or leave in the car for the ride home.  We have been so much healthier since I/we stopped drinking out of those cups.  I started this when a dear friend was dying and I was doing everything I could think of to stay heathy so I could visit and it worked.  

[Jyhwkmama]

I am not a church attendee, but I definitely try to be fewer places in public in Jan and Feb (prime flu months where I live). I do get the flu shot, but know it is not foolproof and hate bad colds too (i always seem to have 10 days or more of coughing).

My paranoia is enough that if I were church goer, I would probably stay home and do religious activities in Jan, Feb, and even early March.

[Shoeless]

Maybe everyone can make wearing gloves to church fashionable again.  It might help cut down on germ spread, at least for the ladies.

 

[ScoutTN]

7 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

Maybe everyone can make wearing gloves to church fashionable again.  It might help cut down on germ spread, at least for the ladies.

 

Gloves and hats for style. I like hats.