New communion wine guidelines to avoid swine flu cross-contamination (From York Press)

New communion wine guidelines to avoid swine flu cross-contamination

8:14am Friday 24th July 2009 in Swine flu By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

THE Archbishops of York and Canterbury have jointly issued new guidelines on the administering of communion wine in an attempt to stop swine flu cross-contamination between churchgoers.

On the day the Government was due to launch it’s National Flu Service, a letter to all Church of England bishops, from Dr John Sentamu and Dr Rowan Williams, said it made sense to limit the spread of disease by not sharing common vessels for food and drink.

The letter recommends that during communion, presiding ministers, “whose hands should have been washed in an appropriate alcohol-based rub”, personally dip the communion wafer into the wine themselves before placing them in the hands of the worshipper.

The Rev Michael Woodmansey, of Holy Trinity and St Wulstan Church in Heworth, said he would be following the advice.

“We will be encouraging everyone to follow the normal precautions and advising those who are unwell to keep it to themselves.”

He said the church was at an advantage because it was summer time and many younger congregation members were on holiday while older churchgoers felt that swine flu was not prevalent amongst the elderly.

Meanwhile, GPs throughout York were eagerly awaiting the launch of the flu advice service, due to be launched yesterday, to take the strain from doctors’ surgeries and NHS Direct.

Martin Eades, business manager of the city-wide Priory Medical Group, said: “It means that those people who suspect they have swine flu don’t need to come into our surgery – increasing the risk of cross-contamination. We have seen the pressure on us increase dramamtically – this will let us concentrate on young people and the vulnerable, who do need to see a GP.”

In Harrogate, a spokesman for the town’s hospital emphasised that a “completely normal service was in operation” and no special measures were in place to deal with large numbers of patients or large numbers of staff being absent.

“Our pandemic flu plan does, though, have plans in place should either of these situations occur,” said the spokesman.

“While we have had a small number of patients in A&E with swine flu, we have not had anyone admitted at present because of it.”