[ad_1]
Over the past week, 198 people in Israel with COVID have died, with more than 40 deaths reported in the weekend alone, according to health ministry statistics released on Sunday evening, although the data appears to strengthen the hope that a recall campaign can reverse the number of infections.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 6,830 people with the coronavirus have died in Israel, according to ministry figures. Only sixteen died Sunday morning and early afternoon, 20 Saturday and 21 Friday. As new cases of COVID have skyrocketed in Israel, with the ultra-contagious Delta variant, deaths have also increased in recent months. In June, only seven people with COVID died in Israel. So far in August, more than 350 people have died.
Officials say the vast majority of those who continue to suffer from severe crises with COVID are unvaccinated, although groundbreaking cases among those vaccinated have also become common as immunity has apparently waned, a problem Israel is seeking to address. resolve with a campaign of recalls.
More than 1.4 million Israelis have already received a third injection, according to ministry data. The campaign began on August 1 with people over 60 and has since spread to all Israelis over 40, as well as healthcare workers, teachers and pregnant women.
By Sunday night, 75% of Israelis aged 70-79 had received a third dose, as had 60% of 60-69 year-olds, 36% of 50-59 year-olds and 10% of 40-49 year-olds – who are only eligible since Friday.
Israeli officials hope the booster doses can stop the increase in new and severe cases of COVID, to avoid drastic measures, including a nationwide lockdown – which would be Israel’s fourth.
An Israeli receives a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at a vaccination center of the health services of Maccabi, on August 22, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
As of Sunday evening, 669 people hospitalized for COVID are in serious condition. A week ago that number was 535, and a month ago it was only 76.
Health officials have warned that there could be as many as 2,400 critically ill patients by the middle of next month, if the number of cases continues to rise rapidly.
But the first data from the Ministry of Health released on Sunday evening by Channel 12 seems to show that those who have received a third dose of the vaccine are highly protected against the disease. According to the data, only 0.2% of the 1.1 million Israelis who received their booster dose were diagnosed with COVID-19 at least seven days after the shooting.
In absolute terms, the number of virus carriers who received their third dose is 2,790. Of these, only 187 (0.01%) were hospitalized and 88 (0.08%) developed severe symptoms. Fewer than 15 of them died, with the report failing to provide an exact number.
The data was not made public by the ministry and could not be independently verified.
Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of the Department of Health’s public health services, told Channel 12 on Friday that she was cautiously optimistic about the effects of the booster doses.
“There is cautious optimism and we are seeing a reduction in serious morbidity,” said Alroy-Preis, while expressing hope that the boosters would soon be available to the general population.
Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis, Head of Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, July 14, 2021 (Noam Revkin Fenton / Flash90)
Eran Segal, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science who is one of the government’s top coronavirus advisers, echoed those sentiments last week.
“The numbers for the past few days have been good,” he told Channel 12 Channel. “Of course it’s early and we have to wait, but a better trend is definitely starting to start. [as compared to] last few weeks. “
He said the rate at which severe cases were increasing has slowed.
“The booster still appears to triple the effectiveness of protection against infection, compared to people vaccinated with two doses,” he said. “It increases protection against severe morbidity by a factor of five or six. “
[ad_2]
Source link