COVID-19 Outbreak in an Amish Community — Ohio, May 2020

Ali, Hammad; Kondapally, Karthik; Pordell, Paran; Taylor, Brandi; Martinez, Gisela Medina; Salehi, Ellen; Ramseyer, Stacey; Varnes, Susan; Hayes, Nikki; Fijter, Sietske de; Lloyd, Spencer

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6945a2

Cited by 16 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Yet given their numerous specificities, these two communities may have experienced differently this period. The population living in rural area is generally older, 18 has on average fewer economic resources, 18 , 19 higher prevalence of underlying medical conditions, 18 , 19 , 20 a more limited access to services (health care, home care and shops), 20 reduced Internet access and is more likely to be in digital divide 10 (preventing them from using telehealth 21 and video calls 19 ). In addition, they would have lower compliance with the barrier measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, they would have lower compliance with the barrier measures. 22 On the other hand, rural area is characterised by a lower density of population 20 (factor associated with lower prevalence and incidence of infection), a more privileged living environment to face strict lockdown measures (more spacious houses, access to nature, maintained gardening activities…), a lower frequency of social isolation, more developed relationships with family, friends and neighbours and a better mutual aid organisation in daily living 23 ; even though these characteristics could differ across countries. 24 It is consequently difficult to disentangle the impact of living area on the experience of the COVID‐19 pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Living in rural area: A protective factor for a negative experience of the lockdown and the COVID‐19 crisis in the oldest old population?

Pérès

Ouvrard

Koleck

et al. 2021

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

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Objectives Some factors influence the experience of the COVID‐19 pandemic (health, loneliness, digital access...), but what about the living area? The objective was to compare between rural and urban areas, the psychological and social experiences of the older individuals with regard to the COVID‐19 crisis during the first French lockdown. Methods The sample included participants of three existing population‐based cohorts on aging. Telephone interviews conducted by psychologists focused on the lockdown period. Data collected included living environment, professional assistance, social support, contacts with relatives, difficulties encountered, health, and knowledge and representations of the epidemic. The negative experience was defined by the presence of at least two of the following items: high anxiety symptomatology, depressive symptoms, worries or difficulties during the lockdown and insufficient social support. Results The sample included 467 participants, aged on average 87.5 years (5.2), 58.9% were female and 47.1% lived in rural areas. Persons living in rural area had better social support, greater family presence, a less frequent feeling of imprisonment (OR = 0.60, 95 CI% = 0.36‐0.99), 95% had a garden (vs. 56%), fewer depressive symptoms and lower anxiety scores, but also tended to lower comply with the health measures. Finally, they had an almost twofold lower risk of having a negative experience of the lockdown compared to their urban counterparts (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.33–0.92, p = 0.0223). Conclusions The oldest old living in rural area experienced the first lockdown better than the urbans. Living conditions, with access to nature, a greater social support and family presence, could have contributed to these findings.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living in rural area: A protective factor for a negative experience of the lockdown and the COVID‐19 crisis in the oldest old population?

Pérès

Ouvrard

Koleck

et al. 2021

Int J Geriat Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The present study attempts to isolate religiously motivated perceptions of COVID-19 and related policies by focusing on conservative Anabaptists. The Amish and some conservative Mennonites in North America generally opposed government restrictions to control COVID-19 (Ali et al 2020;Duran et al 2020;Stein 2021). Though these groups do not share the same political motivations and culture as Christian nationalists, they present similar resistance.…”

Section: Religious Moral Worldviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The CDC investigated two COVID-19 outbreaks in Amish and Mennonite communities, one in Elkhart County, IN (Duran et al 2020) and the other in Holmes County, OH (Ali et al 2020). Interviewees reported reluctance to follow specific preventative measures at both sites.…”

Section: Amish and Mennonitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Schools and businesses closed, and governmental officials urged citizens to maintain social distance and isolate themselves from others to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Certain conservative Protestant sects in the U.S. resisted these directives (Ali et al 2020;Duran et al 2020;Perry et al 2020aPerry et al , 2020bPew Research Center 2020;Stein 2021). The non-compliance may reflect a religiously motivated distrust of science, medicine, the government, and the media (Armer and Radina 2006;Baker et al 2020;Galanter 1999;Gastañaduy et al 2016;Glassman 2018;Miller and Karkazis 2013;Offit 2015;Thompson and Kisjes 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad

et al. 2021

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Across the globe, governments restricted social life to slow the spread of COVID-19. Several conservative Protestant sects resisted these policies in the United States. We do not yet know if theology shaped the resistance or if it was more a product of a polarized national political context. We argue that the country context likely shapes how conservative Protestants’ moral worldview affects their perceptions of the pandemic and government restrictions. Countries implementing more regulations, those with limited access to healthcare, food, and other essential services, and those with past histories of epidemics may all shape residents’ perceptions. Drawing on the case of American Amish and Mennonite missionaries stationed abroad, we content-analyzed accounts of the pandemic from an international Amish and Mennonite correspondence newspaper. We found that the missionaries’ perceptions of the pandemic and governmental restrictions differ from those of their U.S. counterparts, which suggests that context likely shapes how religious moral worldviews express themselves concerning public health interventions.

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Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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“Excess deaths” is a means to estimate the lethality of COVID-19 (directly and indirectly). Assessing “excess death” in closed religious communities provides information on how COVID-19 impacted these communities. We use obituary information published in an Amish/Mennonite newspaper to examine excess death among the Amish/Mennonites in 2020. Our results indicate the Amish/Mennonite excess death rates are similar to the national trends in the USA. The excess death rate for Amish/Mennonites spiked with a 125% increase in November 2020. The impact of COVID-19 on this closed religious community highlights the need to consider religion to stop the spread of COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Outbreak in an Amish Community — Ohio, May 2020

Cited by 16 publications

References 5 publications

Living in rural area: A protective factor for a negative experience of the lockdown and the COVID‐19 crisis in the oldest old population?

Living in rural area: A protective factor for a negative experience of the lockdown and the COVID‐19 crisis in the oldest old population?

Global Contexts: How Countries Shape the COVID-19 Experience of Amish and Mennonite Missionaries Abroad

Closed but Not Protected: Excess Deaths Among the Amish and Mennonites During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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