My 21-year-old told me about a friend of his who discovered that he'd been exposed to COVID-19 via a friend diagnosed with COVID-19.
He figured that with such a contagious disease, he needed to get tested even though he had no symptoms.
So he went to the doctor and asked to be tested, but did not tell the doctor the real reason (which was he'd been in close proximity to someone infected with COVID-19).
And the test result came back positive.
The young man headed for the corona hotel and prepared to enjoy a nice prepaid vacation.
However, when he got there, he discovered there were TVs in the rooms.
So he contacted Yehudah Avidan (a Shas activist or something) and said something like, "This is supposed to be a hotel for charedim, but there are TVs in every room!"
So Yehudah Avidan somehow disconnected the TVs so no one could use them, and the young man spent 3 weeks in the corona hotel, yet experiencing no symptoms other than some headaches.
Throughout those 3 weeks, he avoided getting tested again because he enjoyed himself so much with all the other guys there, who also tested positive, but were either asymptomatic or with very light symptoms, and could therefore just enjoy themselves.
A free vacation! Who knew pandemics could be so fun & refreshing? And all paid for with our tax-shekels.
(This is one of the problems with socialist economies because so much citizen money goes to the government & prices tend to be high, people feel like they can or must game the system in order to even things out.)
After fully recovering from the virus & testing negative, he tried to stay another week because he was enjoying himself so much, but the staff threatened to fine him if he didn't leave.
And that was that.
He figured that with such a contagious disease, he needed to get tested even though he had no symptoms.
So he went to the doctor and asked to be tested, but did not tell the doctor the real reason (which was he'd been in close proximity to someone infected with COVID-19).
And the test result came back positive.
The young man headed for the corona hotel and prepared to enjoy a nice prepaid vacation.
However, when he got there, he discovered there were TVs in the rooms.
So he contacted Yehudah Avidan (a Shas activist or something) and said something like, "This is supposed to be a hotel for charedim, but there are TVs in every room!"
So Yehudah Avidan somehow disconnected the TVs so no one could use them, and the young man spent 3 weeks in the corona hotel, yet experiencing no symptoms other than some headaches.
Throughout those 3 weeks, he avoided getting tested again because he enjoyed himself so much with all the other guys there, who also tested positive, but were either asymptomatic or with very light symptoms, and could therefore just enjoy themselves.
A free vacation! Who knew pandemics could be so fun & refreshing? And all paid for with our tax-shekels.
(This is one of the problems with socialist economies because so much citizen money goes to the government & prices tend to be high, people feel like they can or must game the system in order to even things out.)
After fully recovering from the virus & testing negative, he tried to stay another week because he was enjoying himself so much, but the staff threatened to fine him if he didn't leave.
And that was that.
You Have Just Entered the Corona Zone
I don't mean to minimize the very real threat coronavirus presents for vulnerable people.
I also never minimized the very real threat the flu presents for vulnerable people.
But the vast, vast majority of complications & deaths occurred in people with underlying health issues, many of whom were also over 70.
Also, apparently, everyone who died had low levels of vitamin D. Not even average levels, but low.
Also, someone recently publicized that she has volunteered to become infected with COVID-19 in order to participate in vaccination trials — which is something NO ONE would do if COVID-19 were anything like real dangerous diseases, like Ebola or the Black Plague or the Spanish flu.
(I'm saying this all based on current reports regarding COVID-19, by the way. There's a lot we still don't know.)
Furthermore, I admit I'm getting emotionally drained by the constant changing of regulations.
Like, one day you need to wear a mask, but it's not a law. Then another day, you'll get fined if you're caught without a mask. Then another day, you don't need a mask in public areas because it's so hot, it seems like the mask might cause more problems than it solves (and remember, it doesn't really solve much).
And truly, I noticed that it was hard to breathe when wearing the mask, which made health-walks very challenging. I was wondering when we were going to start hearing about people fainting because of this.
I felt nervous & also felt suffocated breathing my own carbon dioxide.
For the few days my youngest son started attending school (which also became a confusing & draining circus regarding changing times and regulations), I walked home after dropping him off (we took the bus there), but because there is a police station nearby, police cars frequent the stretch of road near his school.
So in the airless heat of that week, I was walking along with a synthetic mask over my nose and mouth simply because I did not want to get caught & fined.
Then I pulled it down to my chin, but it got very uncomfortable because the elastic straps dug into where my ear connects with my head.
So I just wore it dangling over one ear for easy replacement if any cops came by.
I also never minimized the very real threat the flu presents for vulnerable people.
But the vast, vast majority of complications & deaths occurred in people with underlying health issues, many of whom were also over 70.
Also, apparently, everyone who died had low levels of vitamin D. Not even average levels, but low.
Also, someone recently publicized that she has volunteered to become infected with COVID-19 in order to participate in vaccination trials — which is something NO ONE would do if COVID-19 were anything like real dangerous diseases, like Ebola or the Black Plague or the Spanish flu.
(I'm saying this all based on current reports regarding COVID-19, by the way. There's a lot we still don't know.)
Furthermore, I admit I'm getting emotionally drained by the constant changing of regulations.
Like, one day you need to wear a mask, but it's not a law. Then another day, you'll get fined if you're caught without a mask. Then another day, you don't need a mask in public areas because it's so hot, it seems like the mask might cause more problems than it solves (and remember, it doesn't really solve much).
And truly, I noticed that it was hard to breathe when wearing the mask, which made health-walks very challenging. I was wondering when we were going to start hearing about people fainting because of this.
I felt nervous & also felt suffocated breathing my own carbon dioxide.
For the few days my youngest son started attending school (which also became a confusing & draining circus regarding changing times and regulations), I walked home after dropping him off (we took the bus there), but because there is a police station nearby, police cars frequent the stretch of road near his school.
So in the airless heat of that week, I was walking along with a synthetic mask over my nose and mouth simply because I did not want to get caught & fined.
Then I pulled it down to my chin, but it got very uncomfortable because the elastic straps dug into where my ear connects with my head.
So I just wore it dangling over one ear for easy replacement if any cops came by.
Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty
Look, if we want to take our vulnerable people to corona hotels, then why not?
(Being under 70 & healthy, my son's friend is not one of the vulnerable — nor were any of his peers who were living it up with him in the corona hotel.)
I'm all for protecting my fellow Jews.
And I'm also disturbed by how hard this virus has hit the frum community (again, mostly people over 70 with pre-existing health issues and low vitamin D), especially so many of our religious leaders.
I think those who fit the vulnerability profile should be quarantined as pleasantly as possible (in a hotel or at home or wherever is best for them) in order to protect them & I think we should help them.
And if anyone wishes to follow the traditional Jewish response of not milling out & about when illness abounds (even a relatively mild illness) as per Rav Avigdor Miller and many others before him, then they are certainly correct to do so.
I wouldn't argue with Jewish tradition.
(I will just add that Rashi defines "come into your chambers and close your doors" as spending your time in shuls and study halls, and not at home on Zoom or overeating. Not that there's anything wrong with Zoom when necessary. But perhaps it's better for everyone to be learning Torah the normal way, as per Rashi. Also, some parents are losing their minds with the teleclasses and Zoom classes. And I don't blame them one bit. If I had more than one young child in this situation and also having to do what American schools are forcing families to do with all the classes and massive amounts of printing, I'd be falling to pieces.)
But much of the other stuff?
It's seems like wacky feel-like-we're-doing-something senseless acts.
(Being under 70 & healthy, my son's friend is not one of the vulnerable — nor were any of his peers who were living it up with him in the corona hotel.)
I'm all for protecting my fellow Jews.
And I'm also disturbed by how hard this virus has hit the frum community (again, mostly people over 70 with pre-existing health issues and low vitamin D), especially so many of our religious leaders.
I think those who fit the vulnerability profile should be quarantined as pleasantly as possible (in a hotel or at home or wherever is best for them) in order to protect them & I think we should help them.
And if anyone wishes to follow the traditional Jewish response of not milling out & about when illness abounds (even a relatively mild illness) as per Rav Avigdor Miller and many others before him, then they are certainly correct to do so.
I wouldn't argue with Jewish tradition.
(I will just add that Rashi defines "come into your chambers and close your doors" as spending your time in shuls and study halls, and not at home on Zoom or overeating. Not that there's anything wrong with Zoom when necessary. But perhaps it's better for everyone to be learning Torah the normal way, as per Rashi. Also, some parents are losing their minds with the teleclasses and Zoom classes. And I don't blame them one bit. If I had more than one young child in this situation and also having to do what American schools are forcing families to do with all the classes and massive amounts of printing, I'd be falling to pieces.)
But much of the other stuff?
It's seems like wacky feel-like-we're-doing-something senseless acts.
Posts referred to above:
Rashi on Yeshayahu/Isaiah 26:20
Our Mom Survived COVID-19 But Died Of Hopelessness, All Alone
Why I Just Volunteered for a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial
Is Vitamin D the Medical Key to Fighting Coronavirus?
FIRE THE TEACHER (Note: If everything in the original article is actually true –never trust a journalist or newspaper – it's one of the most infuriating things I've heard in a while. And it also exposes the hypocrisy of the enforcers of the coronavirus regulations, who force people to obey one regulation by doing something even worse.)
Rashi on Yeshayahu/Isaiah 26:20
Our Mom Survived COVID-19 But Died Of Hopelessness, All Alone
Why I Just Volunteered for a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial
Is Vitamin D the Medical Key to Fighting Coronavirus?
FIRE THE TEACHER (Note: If everything in the original article is actually true –never trust a journalist or newspaper – it's one of the most infuriating things I've heard in a while. And it also exposes the hypocrisy of the enforcers of the coronavirus regulations, who force people to obey one regulation by doing something even worse.)
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