The Holy Communion is the oldest Christian practice, through which a gathered group of people partake bread and wine with a shared spoon. The pandemic of COVID-19 produced unexpected social instability and chaos. In Greece, a recent bishop’s death from COVID-19 re-awaked the issue of infection transmission by using a common chalice and spoon. This review evaluates the available medical literature on this topic from the beginning of the pandemic until today.
Gregory K, Carpenter J, Bending G. Infection hazards of the common communion cup. Can J Public Health. 1967;305–10.
2.
Orthodox times Epidemiology professor: No scientific study that proves COVID-19 transmission through Holy Communion. 2020;
3.
Quadri S. COVID-19 and religious congregations: Implications for spread of novel pathogens. Int J Infect Dis. 2020;219–21.
4.
Ekklisia. Piraeus: 2,500,000 people have shared in the last 10 months. 2020;
5.
Ekklisia. Agios Anthimos of Chios: He transmitted the divine communion to the lepers and then. 2020;
6.
Loving L, A. A controlled study on intinction: a safer alternative method for receiving Holy Communion. J Environ Health. 1995;24–8.
7.
Vélez F. Spiritual care of the sick. Linacre Q. 2017;220–5.
8.
Jayaweera M, Perera H, Gunawardana B, Manatunge J. Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: a critical review on the unresolved dichotomy. Environ Res. 2020;109819.
9.
Manangan L, Sehulster L, Chiarello L, Simonds D, Jarvis W. Risk of infectious disease transmission from a common communion cup. Am J Infect Control. 1998;538–9.
10.
Loving A, Wolf L. The effects of receiving Holy Communion on health. J Environ Health. 1997;6–10.
11.
Anyfantakis D. Holy communion and infection transmission: a literature review. Cureus. 2020;8741.
12.
Burrows W, Hemmens E. Survival of bacteria .on the silver communion cup. J Infect Dis. 1943;180–90.
13.
Hobbs B, Knowlden J, White A. Experiments on the communion cup. J Hyg Lond. 1967;37–48.
14.
Kingston D. Memorandum on the infections hazards of the common communion cup with especial reference to aids. Eur J Epidemiol. 1988;164–70.
15.
Spantideas N, Drosou E, Barsoum M, Bougea A. COVID-19 and Holy Communion. Public Health. 2020;134–5.
16.
Anders H. Prophylaxis in churches needed by the adoption of individual communion chalices or cups. Proc Philadelphia County Med Soc. 1894;345–52.
17.
Oke R. Healing of the haemorrhaging woman as a model for checkmating stigma of people living with HIV. Verbum Eccles. 2017;1–12.
18.
Papageorgiou Fr . The chalice, the spoon, and our fear of death. 2020;
19.
Taft R. Byzantine communion spoons: a review of the evidence. DOP J. 1996;209–38.
20.
Gill O. The hazard of infection from the shared communion cup. J Infect. 1988;3–23.
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
