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Which Saint To Pray For Fighting Against A Covid Infection? A Short Survey
Which Saint To Pray For Fighting Against A Covid Infection? A Short Survey
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SHORT REPORT
a
Laboratory Anthropology Archaeology Biology (LAAB), Paris-Saclay University (UVSQ), UFR of
Health Sciences, 2, avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
b
Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, Department of Medicine, ‘‘San Giovanni
di Dio’’ Hospital, Gorizia, Italy
c
Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, Alto Isontino District, Gorizia, Italy
KEYWORDS Summary
Health; Background. — In the absence of a treatment still considered universally effective, and of a vac-
Medical cine validated by the health authorities, we wanted to know which Catholic saint the European
anthropology; Christian community turned to in the event of infection with Covid-19 to request a miraculous
Parallel medicine; healing.
Religion; Methodology. — An online survey was carried out on a sample of 1158 adults using social media
Survey tools.
Results. — All results are presented in this research, with a few saints in the majority, and
some dictated by the symptomatology of the Covid-19 infection or the personalities of certain
« doctor guru ».
Conclusion. — This medico-anthropological study is revealing the psychology of Western patients
vis-à-vis the magic-religious means used in the fight against diseases, particularly in the epi-
demic/pandemic context.
© 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Background
The relationship between religion and medicine is well
known in human communities since antiquity. Medieval
∗ Corresponding author at: Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giu- medicine was based on Hippocratic and Galenic doctrines,
liano Isontina, Department of Medicine, ‘‘San Giovanni di Dio’’ but it was also characterized by spiritual and divine influ-
Hospital, Gorizia, Italy. ences. So, in European countries, in Middle Ages, Saints’
E-mail address: antonioperciaccante@libero.it invocation for the curing of diseases was an usual practice.
(A. Perciaccante).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemep.2021.100674
2352-5525/© 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
A. Perciaccante, A. Coralli and P. Charlier
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Ethics, Medicine and Public Health 18 (2021) 100674
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A. Perciaccante, A. Coralli and P. Charlier
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[6] Voragine J. In: Caxton William, editor. The Golden Legend,
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Disclosure of interest [7] Gelpi AP. Saint Sebastian and the Black Death. Vesalius
1998;4:23—30.
The authors declare that they have no competing interest. [8] Butler EC. ‘‘St. Anthony.’’. The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1. New
York: Robert Appleton Company; 1907. p. 553—5.
[9] Marini E. S. Adriano martire protettore di Matelica. Castelpi-
References ano: Ed. L. Romagnoli; 1921.
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