Brother Rick Scatterday's Fellowship on Considerations Regarding the Relaxation of COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

Below is a letter composed by Rick Scatterday, who was brother W. Lee's personal doctor, along with another doctor in the Lord’s recovery. This letter was given in response to a question that was recently presented to brother Rick. We feel to share it with all of you, because as you will see in reading it, it gives a very balanced view related to considerations all the churches will be facing in the future related to meetings and the gatherings of the saints.

Considerations Regarding the Relaxation of COVID-19 Mitigation Measures, May 12, 2020

• Governmental and public health authorities agree that the relaxation of pandemic mitigation measures as called for by federal and state guidelines is not related to a decrease in risk of infection, but rather to socioeconomic pressures. They agree that such relaxation is premature from the standpoint of public safety, but is described as being economically and politically unavoidable.

  • This realization is important, as it should urge us to continue to exercise protective measures as thoroughly as possible within the limits of the practicality of our situation.

  • Observations related to analogous past pandemics, and the experience of other countries with COVID-19 predict that we may experience a second wave of infection. In some previous pandemics, this second wave has been worse than the first.

  • Assumptions made based upon early observations in China that children and young people are less susceptible to COVID-19 infection and complications have not been confirmed by the experience in Europe and the United States.

  • We should anticipate that it will take 1-2 years for the COVID-19 pandemic to resolve. This may be affected by the speed with which an effective vaccine becomes available, which at present is projected to be possibly in 2021.

  • The responsibility that the brothers leading the churches bear to be protective of the well-being of the saints favors a position that the churches not quickly restore their corporate (face-to-face) meeting schedule in concert with the reopening of businesses, pending a period of cautious observation as to the situation in the community.

  • When an employee is directed to return to work, he must do so. When a saint decides to move freely in the community, they are certainly entitled to do so. But, to repeat, the community is no safer, and probably less so now than when the mitigation measures were instituted. For the elders to lead the saints to on-site corporate meetings in the midst of a known hazard, especially as it relates to our significant population of older or otherwise predisposed persons, would seem to involve some responsibility for the potentially serious consequences.

  • After the COVID-19 mitigation measures are substantially relaxed, how long would it take to be able to project the new baseline situation?

    • It appears that an additional period of up to 4-6 weeks would be needed. If a person is infected as soon as the mitigation measures are relaxed, the incubation period of the virus to the point of the development of symptoms could be up to two weeks. From the time of initiation of symptoms, it could take another one to two weeks for the symptoms to reach their height, and for hospitalization, when necessary, to be required. In more serious cases, the hospitalization period could be one to two weeks, or longer.

    • Thus, only some weeks after liberalization will we know the new baseline for risk of infection and of more serious complications.

• When the responsible brothers in a locality feel that it is safe to reconvene on-site corporate meetings, it would be prudent to do so in phases.

  • • Caution would suggest beginning with smaller gatherings, while carefully heeding the situation among the saints and in the community.

    • It would be prudent to remind the saints that the risk of COVID-19 contact and spread in the community has not diminished significantly, and that when resuming our meetings continued endeavor to apply recommended protective measures is still very important.

• Protectively speaking, it would be best for us to recommend that saints age 65 and older to not participate in corporate gatherings until a vaccine is available. In many cases, this would include the responsible brothers.

  • • During all phases of reopening, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends only virtual meetings for those who are “vulnerable populations,” including those over age 65.

    • It is not beneficial for the responsible brothers in this age group to feel that they need to be patterns to the saints by returning to the first reconvened gatherings.

    • Rather, they should realize that the example that is most needed is for them to be patterns to the older, more vulnerable saints by remaining at home for safety reasons.

• When corporate meetings are opened and endorsed by the leading ones, they will certainly want to provide the option to saints who would like to remain back for health reasons to do so without feeling that they are violating the fellowship of the church.

  • • The elders may want to urge the saints to respect the decision of others who feel that they should remain under restriction when the church meeting schedule liberalizes. Hopefully, any who would like to exercise additional caution would sense support, rather than well-intended pressure to return.

    • The elders may want to oversee the situation of saints who are hesitant to rejoin in-person meetings to assure that they have continued optimal access to virtual gatherings and fellowship.

• To optimize communication to the saints as to the direction to be taken by the church, the leading ones may want to convey their considerations to the saints in written form as well as verbally.