Q&A: Corona Compared to the Flu
Corona Compared to the Flu
Question
What does the Rabbi think about Professor Yoram Lass’s view regarding how to deal with the coronavirus?
He claims it is no more dangerous than the regular flu and that there is no need to impose restrictions because of it.
https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001322593#utm_source=Apps&utm_medium=SharedTo
Answer
I don’t have a clear position.
I myself referred to that article in a talkback on the column about the coronavirus. I tend to think like him, but flattening the curve is a significant consideration (see, for example, Italy with 800 deaths in a single day). See there also my additional reference to what Yoram Yovel said on the matter, where he says similar things.
Discussion on Answer
You wrote that you agree with what Yoram Lass says, but that flattening the curve is a significant consideration.
If the only goal is flattening the curve in order to ease the burden on the hospitals, there is another solution.
It would be possible to set up temporary hospitals and recruit enlarged teams to treat all the patients who arrive at the same time. I am sure that reinforcing public medicine would be easier and cheaper for the state than a general shutdown of the entire economy for such a long period.
With God’s help, Saturday night, the month of 5780
To Israel — greetings,
As long as there is a sweeping shortage of tests, it is impossible to separate carriers and patients, and therefore the entire population is treated as “possible carriers.” Once they succeed in importing or producing hundreds of thousands of test kits, it will be possible to isolate and treat carriers and patients. It seems that most of them will be treated at home, and for those who need hospital treatment, suitable frameworks will be found. In one of my comments on the column about the “coronavirus crisis” I referred to an interview with Dr. Zvi Marom, who says this. And your mnemonic is: salvation will come from Marom 🙂
Regards,
S. Zvi
And since we mentioned Dr. Zvi Marom, let us note that the deer’s song in Perek Shira is the verse: “But I will sing of Your strength, and in the morning I will joyously proclaim Your kindness…” (Psalms 59:17). This verse was recommended by Maharit Tzahalon in the name of the Ari to be said to stop a plague after “the preparation of the incense.”
This remedy — not to lose one’s sense of confidence and joy even in a time of trouble and worry — is also helpful rationally. A good mood strengthens the immune system. The confusion that follows worry often causes people not to see effective solutions that are right “under their nose,” and when one gets out of the “mental mess,” the road to solving hard and complicated problems becomes easier.
Regards,
S. Zvi Ron-Gil
A.
Why should we care who is a carrier and who isn’t? We are talking about the British model, so from our point of view it is preferable that everyone be carriers, so that they become immune and the public will benefit from herd immunity.
When following the British model, there is no need for tests at all.
B.
Even in a model that is not the British one, a person can test clean today and become a carrier tomorrow, and therefore the entire population must remain under lockdown.
Tests can help a person who is required to be in isolation and wants to go outside, or a sick person whose doctors want to verify what illness he has in order to know how to treat him and whether to separate him from healthy people.
In short — the tests do not eliminate the need for a lockdown on the population in a model that is not the British one.
C.
Can you give the link to that interview?
D.
As for your mnemonic, “salvation will come from Marom,” someone already said today: “The answer is at the Weizmann Institute.”
What Yoram Yovel said is linked here:
I couldn’t find the link to what Yoram Yovel said. Where is it?