Shortform reading

Although instances of violence against Jews were fewer across many countries in 2020, online antisemitism intensified, stoking fears among some researchers that it will move offline as lockdowns lift. Jews were one of many ethnic and religious groups targeted with conspiracy theories that they had created and/or spread the virus, and antisemitism has been a prominent theme in other conspiracy theories and rhetoric about vaccines, pandemic restrictions, and various organizations working to control the pandemic.

A recent study has suggested that "the pandemic has ramped up discrimination against racial and ethnic minority groups — one that may be as widespread as it is difficult to detect". After a surge in incidents of anti-Asian violence related to the pandemic, the researchers investigated whether similar attitudes may be influencing less visible, "everyday" forms of discrimination. Researchers found that survey takers were considerably less likely to respond positively to an Asian or Hispanic person when evaluating roommate candidates when they had been primed to think about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authors describe an "infodemic" that is occurring in concert with the pandemic, where deceptive material about COVID-19, masks, and vaccines is spreading widely and resulting in those who believe it taking fewer preventative steps against the disease. They discuss engaging pandemic-response playbooks to try to counteract misinformation before it goes viral.

Children have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 Delta variant, and doctors are questioning whether the variant could be particularly dangerous in younger people. Scientists have said there is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about whether the Delta variant causes more severe illness in children than other variants. In the UK, where there was a surge in Delta variant cases before the one in the US, there was no clear evidence that children were at particular risk for serious illness from this variant.

More than a third of eligible adult Americans haven't gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, and employers are weighing approaches to requiring or encouraging vaccination among their workforce. Some are requiring vaccines (either for all staff, or for new hires only), some have offered various incentives or tried to educate their employees about the vaccine, and some have not made any statements on the matter.

An article from Quillette, a generally libertarian- and right-leaning publication, offers an interesting and admirable attempt to convince its readers to be wary of COVID-19 misinformation, and to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Berlinski and Deigin describe Bret Weinstein's statements about COVID-19, which they say evolved from "entertaining theories that might not be right but could do no harm, to theories that cannot be right and are sure to do harm". They criticize Weinstein's claims that ivermectin is a COVID-19 "miracle drug" (which they say is inaccurate but also relatively harmless, as ivermectin has few side effects), as well as his statements that the approved COVID-19 vaccines are so unsafe that people are dying from them en masse (statements they describe as "deadly"). The article offers a perspective that is both deeply libertarian, and also often missing from publications further to the right: "It is Weinstein's right under the First Amendment to say all of this. But let's not confuse a right to say something with something being right to say." It also debunks some of the claims that Weinstein has made on his podcast (for example, "The impression listeners might get from Weinstein's podcast is that children are at no risk from this disease. This is false."), and details the actual risks of COVID-19 vaccines and the scale at which side effects such as blood clots have been observed. The article concludes: "To put things simply: We have proof that ivermectin is terrific for river blindness and head lice. But if you're taking it to prevent COVID-19 because you heard it was '99 percent effective' on a podcast—while forgoing an mRNA vaccine, because you think that's too dangerous—you've been misled, and you're endangering yourself, your family, your community, and your country. No one disputes Bret Weinstein's right to embrace the theory that ivermectin is a miracle drug, or to regale his listeners with vaccine horror stories and conspiracy theories. But the rest of us reserve the right to be appalled by his judgment and ethics."

Although more and more adults are becoming fully vaccinated each day, there is still no vaccine available for children under 12. While they are less susceptible to serious illness from COVID-19, they are still at risk for the illness. Some parents are beginning to relax the precautions they were taking with their children, allowing large unmasked group get-togethers, whereas others are continuing to be more cautious. Parents are having to navigate discussing COVID safety with parents who are more ambivalent, and also figure out how to balance safety with potentially introducing difficulties into their childrens' friendships. One parent said of their willingness to relax a previously-enforced precaution: "You don't want to be the first parent and you don't want to be last."

Dougherty writes about mask mandates as they begin to lift, taking the view that some of them (masks outdoors, masking children in schools) they have been unjustified for a long time.