Amish Communities Have Been Heavily Affected By COVID-19
The Claim
COVID-19 spared the Amish community.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users have been posting a meme that states, “Remember the virus that wiped out the entire Amish community because they don’t vaccinate children? Yeah, Me neither.” The meme seems to echo the popular myth that the severity of the coronavirus has been exaggerated and that vaccines against it don’t work. It suggests that because the Amish live a life outside of traditional western technology and medicine, they’ve been spared from the effects of the pandemic.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s analysis found this meme to be misleading. While the Amish have not been “wiped out” by the pandemic, their community has suffered some of the highest rates of COVID-19 infections in the United States. In early April of last year, The New York Times reported that the Amish community in Ohio was observing suggestions from officials, including closing schools, wearing masks, and observing social distancing as much as their lifestyle would allow.
There have been several COVID-19 outbreaks recorded among the Amish in locations throughout the U.S. The CDC noted a 1 in 30 death rate for one outbreak in Wayne County, Ohio. Many in the Amish community do not get tested for COVID-19 or even seek out medical care, choosing instead to suffer or die at home in some cases. Infection rates among the Amish have been so high that some even wondered if they may have reached herd immunity. Health officials doubt the idea because the length of immunity and new variants would instead mean a new round of sickness.
The Amish community in Ohio is also not entirely opposed to vaccinations. After a 2014 Measles outbreak, the community has been slowly changing its approach to vaccinations. Dr. Dwight J. McFadden III of the Ohio Health Department also noted that vaccination is not against Amish beliefs. Preventative healthcare, like vaccinations and checkups, are voluntary and subject to differing beliefs. Even with these changes, though, the Amish still have some of the lowest vaccination rates, and in November there were already reports that COVID-19 cases were underreported and the Amish were loosening restrictions.
