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.
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Orthodox times Epidemiology professor: No scientific study that proves COVID-19 transmission through Holy Communion 2020.
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Quadri S. COVID-19 and religious congregations: Implications for spread of novel pathogens. Int J Infect Dis 2020:219–21.
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Ekklisia. Piraeus: 2,500,000 people have shared in the last 10 months 2020.
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Ekklisia. Agios Anthimos of Chios: He transmitted the divine communion to the lepers and then 2020.
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Loving L, A. A controlled study on intinction: a safer alternative method for receiving Holy Communion. J Environ Health 1995:24–8.
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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.
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Loving A, Wolf L. The effects of receiving Holy Communion on health. J Environ Health 1997:6–10.
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Hobbs B, Knowlden J, White A. Experiments on the communion cup. J Hyg Lond 1967:37–48.
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Kingston D. Memorandum on the infections hazards of the common communion cup with especial reference to aids. Eur J Epidemiol 1988:164–70.
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Spantideas N, Drosou E, Barsoum M, Bougea A. COVID-19 and Holy Communion. Public Health 2020:134–5.
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Anders H. Prophylaxis in churches needed by the adoption of individual communion chalices or cups. Proc Philadelphia County Med Soc 1894:345–52.
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Taft R. Byzantine communion spoons: a review of the evidence. DOP J 1996:209–38.
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Gill O. The hazard of infection from the shared communion cup. J Infect 1988:3–23.
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