Where are the women?

The government statistics are internally incoherent since they base them on people tested (a non-random population) rather than people infected (as revealed by random testing including antibody testing). The government lied from the beginning claiming that most persons infected by Covid would be become seriously ill and several percent would die, whereas in facts over 90% of those infected don’t get sick, and the death rate of those infected is in tenths of a percent and in fact represents only a tiny “blip” compared to the overall death rate (in part since Covid19 kills mostly old people or those already quite ill). In real epidemics, such as smallpox in a new population, death rates would be in the tens of percents, everyone would get sick, and children would be the most vulnerable – a “plague” that doesn’t cause illness for most people and kills only the elderly is not a social threat. The shutdowns and closures were and are a mistake, and we are right to suspect ulterior motives.

The government in “blue” states do not believe their own propaganda since they routinely allow their supporters to gather without masks or social distancing (note: these are the people they would least want to die), while at the same time striking a blow against religions whom they have for a long time regarded as mortal enemies. It should also be noted that the frum community is much less likely than the general population to be affected since we are radically younger, not to mention that the age group most at risk from Covid19 are those who are older than “boomers” (i.e. those born after World War II, which in our community is an age group that is still artificially reduced due to high mortality among Jewish children during the period preceding 1945). Some frum media have unwisely “bought” the false narrative put out by the hyper-secular liberal media.

And why do you see relatively few frum women protesting? In our community, large, noisy and potentially violent protests are not seen as a place for women. If you don’t realize that, you really don’t understand the sociology of the frum community.

Some of us are silently taking care of our families at home, as well as going out when it’s needed, because we don’t have to shave our beards to fit a KN95 🙂

COVID-19 is real, is airborne, and if it is a blessing, I am happy to let other people “enjoy” it. I do not think it is in my interest to get infected.

@charliehall
No one really knows the death rate, because the epidemic is too recent. In 5 years, or 10 years, we can talk about mortality, or should I say, survival rate. For the time being, all we can say is that there are already a large number of deceased victims and that the epidemic is ongoing.

mkylb:
Surely you mean well, but
1. You don’t know for a fact that we have witnessed higher infection rates, nor are you taking into account larger family densities than liHavdil the gentiles, which would explain that alleged higher rate. But that allegedly higher rate is anyways false. It’s also irrelevant because you have to know on what it is based. For example, if only sick people get tested, then the rate will obviously be higher than other places where healthy people are being tested. Etc.
2. You should not make false blanket statements claiming that we haven’t followed the government’s rules. In my shul, and others in which I have davened, everyone is strict about wearing masks.
3. You also don’t know if the government’s science is sound or mistaken. There are plenty of videos from people with degrees and experience in these areas who say that masks don’t help. Back in March, I think even Dr. Fauci himself said so, if I recall. The virus, in my understanding, is way smaller than the tiny holes in the mask, so a mask is, essentially, no better than breathing through a mesh screen door, though it might be better than nothing.
4. With all due respect, unless you learned in Seminary or elsewhere the halachos and parameters of Chilul Hashem, then I would not be so quick to label this a Chilul Hashem, even without the above three points, and potentially create an actual Chilul Hashem of giving up on Tznius, etc. to try to effect change in this matter. Even if you do know the halachos, though, your keeping tznius will surely accomplish much more than anything you could do by violating that.

@HaKatan
Surely you mean well, but masks block tiny particulate not according to your comparison with a colander or chicken wire, but because the material of modern masks (electret) electrostatically attracts nanodust which is captured and bound to the fibers. This is why Chinese KN95 work awesome and “community made” reusable cotton masks are not as effective.

“There are plenty of videos from people with degrees and experience in these areas who say that masks don’t help.”

Are there specific reputable sources for this? You’re not the first one to reference numerous unnamed supposed experts, but somehow it never seems to get more specific than that.

@mkylb
I don’t know what’s been going on in other places. However, as Hakatan pointed out, there are plenty of frum people being careful. My yeshiva, for example, installed plexiglass in between every seat, and the person across from you is distanced 6 feet apart.

Also, I’m not sure what exactly you’re suggesting frum women do. Mimonovshoch: If you’re suggesting that women privately at home tell their husbands and sons (I’ll presume you mean in a nice way) to be more compliant, then I don’t see why you would consider that to be a lack of tzniyus. If you’re suggesting they go out in the streets and have some kind of counter-protest, then I’d say you’d need an halachic authority to decide whether or not it’s proper to be over on tzniyus to avoid a chillul Hashem. If the halachah is that it’s assur for women to act that way, then we would know for a 100% fact that Hashem doesn’t want them to do that.

@hakatan, today’s Daf Yomi Eruvin – if you see something against Torah, esp Hillul Hashem –
you need to act and not to defer until a more senior person issues a psak. [contrasting with the usual case that you do not issue psak in front your Rav]

@always_ask_questions
Your recent posts are somewhat ironic given your screen name.
My post clearly delineated multiple reasons why wearing a mask or not doing so do not carry halachic implications including Chilul Hashem.

I would be interested to know to which Rav you refer, or at least in which Yeshiva he learned and how long ago, etc. But that’s not really relevant, anyways, I guess.

@daniela:
Surely you know that those two situations are not even remotely comparable.

Mazel tov. So now the public face of covid denial in the United States has morphed to include armed white supremacist militias dressed in camouflage vests claiming that mask and distancing laws violate their right to get infected and infect others along along with the Tischler wing of the Chareidi tzibur in the NYC metro area dressed in yeshivish lvush who burn masks and dumpsters and scream Naziiiis at local police and first responders.