Last weekend, about 17 people at a local “Gentlemen’s Club” came down with covid-19.  Contact tracing was pretty tough.  Most people who go to such places don’t advertise their names.  And some wouldn’t want family and friends to know they were there. On the other hand,  it’s easy to contact trace churchgoers who’ve contracted covid-19.  Nothing to be ashamed about when attending church.  And yet, these two places have the same problem.  They’re currently among the worst places for catching covid-19.  What do strip clubs and churches have in common? 

 For starters, both are high intensity, emotionally charged atmospheres.  If you’re  attending crowded church services or going to a strip club during the pandemic, there’s a feverish quality about it.  You’re throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of your passions or beliefs.   

Consequently, religious services and choirs have been cited as clusters of spread of the coronavirus,  A study published by the CDC  on May 22 shows how the covid-19 can spread in a church setting.  Among 92 people who attended a rural Arkansas church, 35 people developed  covid-19 infections and three people died.  26 more cases linked to the church occurred in the surrounding community, and one person died.

 A crowded church service is one of the most deadly places to be . The combination of singing in close quarters and decreased ventilation is like  a petri dish  for viral growth.   

 Department of Health and Human Services officials say  that  entertainment facilities run the same  risk of bringing large groups of people together for an extended time.  In addition,   social distancing is likely  to fall by the wayside when alcohol is consumed.  Like some fundamentalist churches, strip clubs also require yelling over loud music and singing,  meaning the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is higher. 

Like it or not, attending churches or going to strip clubs during this pandemic is  risky.