COVID-19 and religious congregations: Implications for spread of novel pathogens

The COVID-19 pandemic is ravaging the world. A principal preventive strategy is practicing social distancing. Congregations of the faithful at the local and transnational levels are strongly recommended by several world religions and religious orders, however, a gathering of large numbers of people in close approximation could be fertile ground for the spread of novel pathogens. The refusal to suspend such gatherings could lead to potential widespread dispersal of infections. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases.