Church worship is essential: How to do it safely (Part 3)

Details of the service in the Baptist church in Frankfurt, Germany remained unknown as it is being investigated, but the deputy head of the Health Department called it a “very dynamic event” (“sehr dynamisches Geschehen”).

The Deputy Head of Office at church said there was no violation of a legal regulation (Es gab keine Verletzug einer Rechtsverordnug) as initially reported in a May 23 article on Der Tagesspiegel. But subsequent reports said otherwise.

The report also said although the said church is not small, but a much larger cathedral in Frankfurt can only allow up to 70 parishioners to worship together according to the new legal guidelines (die Regeln). There were 170 faithfuls packed in the church, singing without wearing face masks, according a May 28 report on Farnkfurter Allgemeine, in which it said the total infected cases have reached 200. Transmission to the people that didn't attend the May 10 service apparently has occurred. The social distancing was set at 1.50 meter apart in Germany.

The guidelines for re-opening governing the faith-based organizations in Germany are essentially the same as that of CDC: Social distancing, wearing face coverings, providing soap and hand sanitizers, not to use the shared hymnals or prayer books (the congregants are encouraged to bring in their own items), not to pass around the collection basket or tray, considering a stationary collection box or even regular financial contributions electronically.

Many of the physical contacts that are practiced among the faith community may have to be curtailed such as hugging, shaking or holding hands in a chain. A safer and acceptable way to do Communion has to be devised. Outdoors service, if feasible, should be encouraged.

Symptom-free transmission is what drives this pandemic. Not only do the droplets from coughing and sneezing contain viruses, but also the aerosols from breathing, talking and especially singing. The initial much detailed CDC guidelines discouraged choir in the service, this was apparently deleted by White House.

The same guidelines though they may be in the U.S. and Germany, they are implemented quite differently. The Frankfurt Health Department said the Baptist community has to be held accountable if they are careless in handling corona-hygiene rules. Each congregation has to follow the state ordinance even for divine services or religious gatherings.

Church worship is essential: How to do it safely (Part 2)

112 out of 180 church goers got Covid-19 after attending a “very dynamic worship” in a Baptist Church in Frankfurt, Germany. It may come from a nursery school teacher. It is facing a criminal investigation since it violates the reopen laws, which are simply guidelines in America (CDC calls it suggestion).

“CDC offers these suggestions for faith communities to consider and accept, reject, or modify, consistent with their own faith traditions, in the course of preparing to reconvene for in-person gatherings while still working to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

I myself may not be in favor of a criminal prosecution for such a violation by a church having a divine service, a reprimand at most. But this clearly shows the Germans are serious, not half-hearted in fighting to contain the spread of coronavirus. This will never happen in the U.S. under Trump's watch. This may also reflect the cultural difference. Although we need to keep in mind that Germany is exemplary as the global leader in fighting this pandemic.

The case is facing criminal investigation

The church may have forgotten another set of “holy trinity” (social distancing, wearing face mask and wash the hands) according to NJ governor.

Church worship is essential: How to do it safely (Part 1)

(I'll have serial posts on the Covid-19 spread linked to a worship in a Frankfurt church, Germany. Church worship is indeed essential. With the wisdom God grants us, we need to learn how to do it safely.)

the case is facing criminal investigation

The worship at a Baptist Church in Frankfurt Germany took place on May 10, the first news of the Covid-19 broke out on May 23, at which time more than 40 cases were reported in a Der Tagesspiegel article, next day the articles in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported as many as 107 cases (180 parishioners attended the service). A Frankfurter Allgemeine article on May 26, reporting the case was under criminal investigation (Baptisten-Gemeinde drohen strafrechtliche Ermittlungen). Another article on the same newspaper on May 28 reported 200 cases have been linked to this incident.

In response to the huge pool party in Missouri on Memorial Day weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “One of the things that the people who are out there frolicking need to realize is that when you do that and you see no negative effect in one week please don’t be overconfident. The effect if spreading is not going to be seen for may be two, three or even more weeks.”

The timeline of the case involving the Frankfurt church worship is obviously in line with what Dr. Fauci said.

Comparison of USA and Germany: Revisited

When it comes to the handling of the pandemic President Trump likes to compare the USA to Germany, so do I. He claimed Germany and the United States were “leading the world in lives saved per 100,000.” But according to data from Johns Hopkins University, Germany has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world, at 9.13 deaths per 100,000 people, the United States 24.31 deaths per 100,000.

The venerable Robert Koch Institute

Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin is equivalent to our CDC. Robert Koch was the first director of the institute that now bears his name back in 1882 when he discovered Tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1905. His Koch Postulates (in 1884) practically began the field of the infectious disease.

There is hardly a day goes by without the RKI making an official statement during the corona-crisis: One would read the following headlines in the press all the time.

• „RKI zum aktuellen Stand“ (“RKI on the current situation”),
• „RKI fordert…“ (“RKI calls for…”),
• „RKI warnt…“ (“RKI warns…”),

When RKI speaks, everyone listens: the chancellor, government officials, public pundits and general public. The RKI website is most sought after and consulted by experts and general public alike.

Different story here in America

Upon request by the White House, CDC came up with a 17-page detailed documents of how to reopen America safely, only to be rejected by White House, labeling it “overly prescriptive”. One may suspect that the White House perceives the too cautious and conservative approach may damage the economy which is the top priority of the Twitter King, who just twitted against Pennsylvania governor for the same concern.

To quarantine or not to quarantine, the two leaders in contrast

Around March 22, 2020 German chancellor Angela Merkel went into self quarantine after learning that her physician gave her a pneumonia vaccine injection and was then tested positive for coronavirus. This is a standard recommendation according to the public health officials.

Coronavirus is in the West Wing of the White House. A military valet of President Trump and the press secretary of the Vice President Pence have tested positive. Three high-ranking health officials ( CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield, FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, and NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci) all went into self quarantine for two weeks, but not President Trump or Vice President Pence.

Chancellor Merkel is a physical chemist (quantum chemistry) who listens to the health scientist whereas President Trump has no knowledge of evidence based medicine and whose reckless recommendation of injection of disinfectant as a potential treatment of coronavirus drew worldwide uproar, condemnation and ridicule.

Merkel and Trump: A comparison in the age of the pandemic

I follow Dr. Christian Drosten (a German virologist, German answer to our Dr. Anthony Fauci) closely. When asked about his assessment of Chancellor Angel Merkel, he responded,

“She’s extremely well-informed. It helps that she’s a scientist and can handle numbers. But I think it mainly comes down to her character – her thoughtfulness and ability to reassure. Maybe one of the distinguishing features of a good leader is that they are not using this present situation as a political opportunity. They know how counterproductive that would be.”

That stirred my interest in reading an article (Warum in den USA die Merkel-Mania floriert?) in Der Tagesspiegel (a German newspaper) that appeared on May 6, 2020. The following is my English translation, which is verified by using various dictionaries and translators.

Angela Merkel and Donald Trump at the White House 2017

Why does the Merkel-mania flourish in America?

The rivalry between Merkel and Trump revived in the coronavirus crisis. Many see the chancellor in the leadership role in the whole world. An analysis.

When the American media put on their pink glasses they see in Angela Merkel as a learned physicist who listens to the advice of the scientists.  With 15 years in the position as the chancellor, crisis-proof, stable and experienced.

Angela Merkel turned sixty: July 17, 2014

She quickly and decisively reacts to the danger of the coronavirus pandemic. The number of the new cases and the Covid-related death have been sharply declining.

In addition: Angela Merkel is calm, moderate and is willing to compromise. Her government also recognizes the global dimension of the crisis.

More than 200 coronavirus victims from Europe—particularly from France, Holland and Italy—have been brought to Germany and have been intensively treated. Germany also provides more than one billion euros to the developing countries to support their struggle against the coronavirus.

Change to the glasses with dark-tinted lenses one draws (portrays) a different picture. There is an ex-real estate entrepreneur and big-mouthed Twitter-King who calls himself the US-president, who knows nothing about science and pandemic-fighting strategy, who first claims he has more authority than the governors of the states, but then take this responsibility alone. [the last sentence doesn't make much sense to me, but that is the best I can translate.]

Trump and Merkel at the White House in 2017

An old rivalry lives on

In addition: The contradiction of his statements does not seem to bother Donald Trump in the slightest. At one time the virus is no worse than the flu, at another time he expects the death toll would be 100,000. At one time he strongly recommends following the rules of social distancing, at another time he would praise the heavily armed opponents/protesters against the shutdown.

Trump rejected the accusation that he instructed the CDC and NIH way too late.

Merkel versus Trump

The old rivalry lives on during the coronavirus crisis. That Trump's severe criticism of Merkel's refuge policy during the American election cannot be forgotten, and that Trump refused the hand-shake when they first met [that is German perception, Trump said he didn't refuse shaking hands with Merkel], as well as Merkel's dry statement:

“The world situation must be sorted according to the US election.”

Between the two, not only is there no chemistry, but also much more than that.

Forget about Washington und Peking

But now in the face of the coronavirus tragedy in the USA, the Merkel-mania flourished. There are several recent headlines in the American media: “Forget about Washington and Peking. The global leadership comes from Berlin in these days” (from Foreign Policy). “Local, practical, unpolitical—but successful German coronavirus-strategy” (from Wall Street Journal). “in a crisis the leadership stands out” (from New York Times).

The TV CNN comments the difference of the transatlantic federal governments: While Trump was having a tough time (“biting the teeth”) over the US-Constitution, the other decentralized country that is more than 6,000 miles away is “getting a completely different leadership lesson”.

The healthcare system is stable, the death toll low, whereas in US by contrast the new cases and death toll numbers soar, and the healthcare system on the verge of collapse.

Also the usually restrained Microsoft founder, Bill Gates criticized Trump and praised Merkel's administration.

In the United States the tests for the would be suspected cases were not necessary priorities. There are no clear instructions as to the restriction of public life activities. Gates said that stop funding to WHO is wrong. Merkel, by contrast, is “a leadership and clear voice” in Germany.

A “Darwinian Situation” is emerged

The New York Times ranked Merkel in the league of those politicians that react in a crisis, “determined, courageous, with respect for the science and with empathy for the basic decency”.

Merkel is for sure not a charismatic and eloquent European leadership figure, but no one can ever doubt her decency/honesty. When she turned to her nation, there is no “pompous or bombastic” in her speech.

In Foreign Policy, the German politics will as the result fill the global leadership vacuum. Normally the United States would take the lead in a global crisis.

But those days has passed for Trump. A “Darwinian Situation” has been established, the states have been fighting one another about the medical protective equipments, medicines and compete for the access of vaccines.