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A national survey of antibodies among 3 to 12 year olds is expected to begin on Sunday in municipalities across the country, with the aim of measuring the extent to which the coronavirus has spread undetected among the country’s children over the past year and half. .
The investigation is a joint project of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and the IDF Home Front Command, with the help of local authorities and educational institutions. Some 1,400 Home Front Command teams will carry out blood tests across the country, aiming to reach as many of Israel’s 1.4 million children as possible.
The test is performed by finger prick and gives results in 15 minutes.
Unlike previous antibody surveys, which were conducted to learn more about asymptomatic infections in crowded communities, this one is believed to have a concrete and immediate impact on those tested.
The hypothesis is that many children have been infected in the past year and a half but have not shown any symptoms and therefore have never been diagnosed.
Israeli authorities hope that a significant proportion of children aged 3 to 12, who are currently not eligible for vaccination, will be found to have antibodies and therefore be eligible for a Green Pass, exempting them from mandatory isolation. if they are exposed to someone with COVID -positive, and the COVID-19 test which is now mandatory to enter sites and attractions. They will be able to maintain their daily routine, including going to school, and will reduce the burden on the education and health systems.
According to data released by the Ministry of Health, the number of severe cases has increased by 45 and now stands at 666, with 150 in critical condition and 104 on ventilators.
As of Saturday, 1,467 new cases were recorded, with a positive test rate of 5.11%. The COVID-19 infection rate known as the R-number – the average number of people infected with each carrier of the coronavirus – fell to 1.2 and eight people died from the virus over the weekend.
The recall fire campaign is gaining momentum as people over 40 are now eligible to receive the jab. To date, more than 1.3 million people have received the third dose of the vaccine.
Last week, a pilot survey began in 10 municipalities and neighborhoods with an ultra-Orthodox majority. A sample of about 35,000 tests revealed that about 20% of children had COVID-19 antibodies. Many experts believe that the rate of latent infection is higher among the ultra-Orthodox population than among the general Israeli population, as the former generally live in more crowded conditions and have on average many more children per family. Additionally, parts of the ultra-Orthodox community have flouted disease control guidelines in previous outbreaks, and they still have lower vaccination rates than the general public.
However, an expert involved in the investigation says he believes the results will be more dramatic than expected. “I think the test will show that the number of children infected in Israel over the past year and a half is about double what we thought,” he told Haaretz. Last week’s survey of Haredi children is not an accurate representation of the rate of asymptomatic infection, which is likely higher than what the survey found, he says.
“The Haredim Investigation Was A Convenience Sample [meaning, not a statistically representative sample, but rather one that included the closest, most available participants]. We don’t know who was tested, or why. In a serological test carried out in Bnei Brak last August, for every child diagnosed, there were 2.5 children that we did not know. If most of the Haredim are tested, we will understand the situation better. The most important part of the current investigation is to calculate the latent infection rate and the number of children protected from infection, ”he says.
Expectations for the antibody investigation are extremely high – partly because of its unprecedented scope and partly because of the time that has passed since the start of the pandemic. Israel has conducted antibody surveys in the past for research purposes and to better understand the behavior of the pandemic. At the time, there was no rapid testing or large sampling infrastructure.
“The large antibody investigation is necessary and could bring practical results that can reduce the number of quarantines and prevent classrooms from being closed,” said Professor Lital Keinan-Boker, head of the Israel Center for Disease Control. “As part of our management of the pandemic, it is important that we occasionally conduct small-scale antibody surveys in order to get a clear idea of where we stand. Smaller surveys also help prepare larger ones like the one being launched now, she said.
Many parents and children are curious as to whether they have been infected with COVID-19 in the past 18 months, which would exempt them from disease control measures imposed on the unvaccinated. Authorities hope this will motivate parents to have their children tested.
Home Front Command hopes the investigation will be conducted broadly and expeditiously. He’s looking to have as many three-person teams as possible on the pitch on Sunday, eventually reaching 1,400 nationwide.
Announcements on the sites and survey times have already been sent to families across the country.
Third dose of vaccine
Meanwhile, Israel’s campaign to administer COVID-19 booster shots was extended over the weekend to people aged 40 and over. Clalit, Israel’s largest HMO, reported that some 31,000 people aged 40 to 49 have received their third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and another 30,000 have made an appointment.
Some 700,000 Clalit members have received the third dose of the vaccine since Israel launched its recall campaign on August 1.
Maccabi, Israel’s second largest HMO, reported that some 24,000 people were vaccinated over the weekend, more than 10 percent of the target population. Another 70,000 people made an appointment, or 30% of HMO members aged 40 to 49.
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