Crazy COVID-19 Church Drama at Two Southern Churches

The Drudge Report is running this as the feature headline:

However, if one digs into the story, the situation is a lot less foreboding.

Houston-based Holy Ghost Parish has halted in-person services even though the profile of what occurred amongst members of the church with regard to COVID-19 is in line with what was already known.

Father Donnell Kirchner died from what is suspected to be COVID-19. But here if the thing, he was 79 years old, exactly the age group that is most vulnerable to serious consequences of infection from the virus. He should have been in self-isolation.

Things then get even more interesting.

After his death,  members of Kirchner’s religious order, with whom he shared a residence, “sought medical advice, and all were tested for the coronavirus.”

Five of the seven residents tested positive BUT all five are asymptomatic.

In other words, what happened at Holy Ghost Parish is in line with what has been the general pattern of the disease. Many are asymptomatic and the disease is most dangerous for those over 70.

I repeat, what is needed is for those over 70 to self-isolate if they are concerned and the rest of us should be allowed to go on with our lives.

The details of the other church, the Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle in Ringgold, Georgia, which is in the story linked to by Drudge, are very sketchy.

It does not appear that there are any deaths and the only further reporting is that some members have been infected. It provides no details concerning age or the seriousness of any infected.

Bottom line: We have another fear headline about the virus that blows completely out of proportion the situation.

-RW