DDF Mythbusters: The 10 Covid Fallacies

[PlatinumGuy]

You don't have to be a scientist. Pick any jurisdiction in Florida, compare it to a heavily masked one in California.

You're proving my point. Florida had 28k Covid deaths out of 21m residents , California had 45k out of 40m residents which is ~20% more per capita. CA is doing something better than FL.

In terms of current positive tests, average of the last 7 days in California is 32 per 100,000 and Florida is 10% higher at 35. (Despite the fact CA is doing ~1.5x testing compared to Florida)

I was in Florida a few weeks ago and everybody was masked in restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. I don't think there is that much of a difference in mask mandates / actual mask wearing between CA & FL, despite media partisan hyperbole.

Then do the same in NY in the Bronx and in Brooklyn, or even neighboring areas within Brooklyn itself, where the frum community is largely unmasked and the non Jewish community is masked heavily (double these days), and the death and case rate of the frum communities lies in the middle of the pack.

I would argue frum deaths in NY are greater than non-Jewish, even today. Can you back up your claim with real data?

[PlatinumGuy]

There's two aspects here:
1. I already had COVID (PCR positive or antibody test confirmed) therefore I can go on with my life as I please and I won't infect anyone.
2. Most of my community had COVID so we have he(a)rd immunity and can therefore go on with our lives as we please.

You're right, I tried to limit it for brevity. Everybody is welcome to propose better ideas.

[Yehuda57]

You're proving my point. Florida had 28k Covid deaths out of 21m residents , California had 45k out of 40m residents which is ~20% more per capita. CA is doing something better than FL.

In terms of current cases, average of the last 7 days in California is 32 per 100,000 and Florida is 10% higher at 35. (Despite the fact CA is doing 2x testing compared to Florida)

I was in Florida a few weeks ago and everybody was masked in restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. I don't think there is that much of a difference in mask mandates / actual mask wearing between CA & FL, despite media partisan hyperbole.

I said compare jurisdictions within the state. For example
https://twitter.com/ianmSC/status/1357169479617114112

I was in Tampa on Sunday where they had dozens upon dozens of people around ensuring people were masked. A large majority of people were not masked until they were forced to do so entering the stadium. Wherever you were is not indicative or the entire state.

I would argue frum deaths in NY are greater than non-Jewish, even today. Can you back up your claim with real data?

Zip code data is readily available on NY's site.

And again, there are many states on the lower end of the deaths per capita table without enforced mask mandates, and many on the top, like NY, with mass mask compliance.

[Euclid]

I was in Tampa on Sunday where they had dozens upon dozens of people around ensuring people were masked. A large majority of people were not masked until they were forced to do so entering the stadium.

Wait what? You had tickets???

[Yehuda57]

Wait what? You had tickets???

Perfect way to derail the thread 

[Euclid]

Perfect way to derail the thread 

Don't ever try to bury the lede.

[Euclid]

Perfect way to derail the thread 

Also an epic humblebrag.

[PlatinumGuy]

I said compare jurisdictions within the state. For example
https://twitter.com/ianmSC/status/1357169479617114112

Seriously cherry picking by county?

Imperial, CA median income is $18,000 and unemployment is 19%. It has 3x Cvoid deaths than the rest of the state. 44% of the county have diabetes & 15% have Asthma . Hispanics and Latinos make up 85% of the county’s population, and they account for 92% of the coronavirus deaths.
 
Collier, FL median income is $31,000 and unemployment is 3.5%. It has 2x less death then the rest of its state.

Sure, mask mandate alone won't stop a pandemic.

there are many states on the lower end of the deaths per capita table without enforced mask mandates, and many on the top, like NY, with mass mask compliance.

All that proves is that other factors may have more influence than masks. It in no way disproves my claim that there is plenty of data that masks are effective and no data that proves masks aren't effective.

[Yehuda57]

Another point in comparing FL to CA, we know that travel increases the spread of Covid, and FL has been flooded since March, and especially in winter months. CA, on the other hand, not so much. Do a search for flights to California, and you'll find their number has been cut dramatically, which is not the case for Florida.

[Yehuda57]

Seriously cherry picking by county?

Imperial, CA median income is $18,000 and unemployment is 19%. It has 3x Cvoid deaths than the rest of the state. 44% of the county have diabetes & 15% have Asthma . Hispanics and Latinos make up 85% of the county’s population, and they account for 92% of the coronavirus deaths.
 
Collier, FL median income is $31,000 and unemployment is 3.5%. It has 2x less death then the rest of its state.

Sure, mask mandate alone won't stop a pandemic.
All that proves is that other factors may have more influence than masks. It in no way disproves my claim that there is plenty of data that masks are effective and no data that proves masks aren't effective.

I've said repeatedly that masks work, but that masks mandates... Not so much.

Either way, I'm done with this argument, consider me thoroughly debunked on one point. That still doesn't account for the numerous other strawman arguments and inflammatory language.

[PlatinumGuy]

we know that travel increases the spread of Covid

Not really, only if they're coming from somewhere where Covid was more prevalent.

Pax who come from somewhere Covid is less prevalent are making Covid less prevalent where they land.

I've said repeatedly that masks work, but that masks mandates... Not so much.

You have yet to bring a single piece of proof to support that, and haven't disputed the proof I brought.

[PlatinumGuy]

https://twitter.com/jmcrookston/status/1360040104706859010

[yitzgar]

https://twitter.com/jmcrookston/status/1360040104706859010

Why is that true? Aren't the kids in the community otherwise? So they are part of the 10

[PlatinumGuy]

Why is that true? Aren't the kids in the community otherwise? So they are part of the 10

They are in school in the morning and the community in the afternoon so have the best of both worlds...

[yitzgar]

They are in school in the morning and the community in the afternoon so have the best of both worlds...

I guess. They are in the community significantly less if they are spending 6-7 hours a day in school

[S209]

I guess. They are in the community significantly less if they are spending 6-7 hours a day in school

The assumption is that they would be in school as opposed to being home learning on Zoom, not as opposed to being at the mall. Thus increasing spread, not decreasing it.

[S209]

(A conversation that’s more common than you’d think)

Him: “Yanky isn’t feeling well today, but don’t worry- it’s not COVID!”
Me: “How do you know it’s not COVID?”
Him:“Come on, why would it be COVID? You never heard of getting a fever? He gets this every year.”
Me: “Why don’t you just test him?”
Him: “I’m not going to test him, I don’t want to have to quarantine!”


.....And that’s when I killed him, Your Honor.

[yitzgar]

(A conversation that’s more common than you’d think)

Him: “Yanky isn’t feeling well today, but don’t worry- it’s not COVID!”
Me: “How do you know it’s not COVID?”
Him:“Come on, why would it be COVID? You never heard of getting a fever? He gets this every year.”
Me: “Why don’t you just test him?”
Him: “I’m not going to test him, I don’t want to have to quarantine!”


.....And that’s when I killed him, Your Honor.

Me: "If he has fever, you should probably test him"
Him: "well if you test every time someone has a headache, you might as well test everyone twice a day"

[yuneeq]

Debunk this

[yuneeq]

Why take a vaccine that’s only 95% effective for a virus that 99.8% survive?