Professor Nachman Ash, the tsar of the Israeli coronavirus, said on Saturday that, despite suggestions to the contrary, Israel had not affected the herd’s immunity and expressed concern about a new “Indian variant” found in the country.
Speaking on a TV panel on Saturday, Ash said that although more than five million people in Israel have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and nearly a million have recovered from the disease, “it is not enough.”
“We need to reach about 75% [of the population] after we have been vaccinated and / or recovered to reach the herd’s immunity, but we see low morbidity data “, Ash explained.
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The latest figures from the Ministry of Health showed that 95 new cases of coronavirus were diagnosed on Friday, representing only 0.7% of the 14,182 samples tested. There were 2,680 active cases, and the death toll from the beginning of the pandemic was 6,315. The ministry also said that 5,341,887 Israelis received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and 4,965,696 received two shots.
In response to plans to lift the requirement to wear masks outside and completely reopen all schools starting Sunday, Ash urged Israelis to remain vigilant and continue to wear face masks indoors and even outdoors in the areas. agglomerate.
Some Israelis wear protective masks in Tel Aviv on April 7, 2021. (Miriam Alster / FLASH90)
“It is true, the risk of infection outside is not high. The big challenge is to carry the mask in your pocket and put it on whenever you get in a closed or crowded place, ”he told Channel 12.
Ash also said that identifying an “Indian variant” among arrivals in Israel from abroad is a cause for concern, as the variant showed “some bad signs.”
The health ministry said Friday that the strain was found among seven unvaccinated travelers who returned to Israel from abroad without disclosing where.
Most cases were identified by tests at Ben Gurion Airport, while the rest were identified while arrivals were still in quarantine, Ash said. He added that not much is known about the new version, but that it seems to be spreading fast.
Medical technicians test coronavirus passengers at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv on March 8, 2021. (Flash90)
“This mutation … has some bad signs. We are comparing the findings from genetic sequencing with what we know and there are some indications that it may be resistant to the vaccine, ”said Ash, quickly adding that, so far, the Pfizer vaccine has been effective against known mutations.
India has confirmed the new and potentially troublesome variant of coronavirus, which has two mutations in the spiny protein that the virus uses to attach to cells. Dr. Rakesh Mishra, director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, said last month that these genetic changes could be worrying because they could help the virus spread more easily and get rid of the immune system.
India is currently battling a widespread rise in infections, with experts suspecting that the most likely cause is the presence of several infectious variants, including one detected in the country.
The virus has been mutant throughout the pandemic. Most mutations are commonplace, but scientists have investigated which of them could make the virus easier to spread or make people sick.
The three variants first detected in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil are considered to be the most worrying. The most widespread of these was the more contagious variant that was detected in the United Kingdom last year. The widespread spread of the British strain in Israel was blamed for the severity of the third wave of coronavirus in the Jewish state earlier this year.
People queue for COVID-19 vaccines in Mumbai, India, Thursday, April 8, 2021. (AP / Rafiq Maqbool)
In a report last week, the Ministry of Health identified several countries as more likely to be a source of mutated coronavirus strains that could have greater resistance to current vaccines. The report did not mention India.
Earlier on Saturday, Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy acknowledged the declining number of cases in an interview with public broadcaster Kan, but urged Israelis not to act as if the country was entirely clear.
“There is a huge decrease in morbidity, but my advice is that where people gather very closely they should wear a mask,” he said. “We must behave correctly so as not to eliminate the progress made.”
Levy lamented that 20% of teachers in the country are not yet vaccinated, adding that in the case of children under 16 who can not inoculate, “we take risks here.” Levy predicted that vaccination for 12-15-year-olds would begin next month.
On Sunday, all students from kindergarten through 12th grade will return to regular in-person classes, ending the requirement that some children continue to study in lower grades. The children in grades 5-9 had been the only remaining students needed to study in “capsules” or pods at a social distance. Students will still be required to wear masks indoors, but will be allowed to take them off during gym classes, when eating and between classes.
A young Israeli man receives an injection of COVID-19 vaccine at a Clalit vaccination center in Holon, February 4, 2021. (Chen Leopold / Flash90)
After suffering a third severe wave of pandemic, Israel’s situation has improved rapidly in recent months, as it has carried out the fastest per capita vaccination in the world. More than half of the population is completely inoculated against COVID-19, and the results have shown that new cases daily and serious cases are falling to levels not seen in the long months.
As the number of cases has decreased, Israel has gradually reduced coronavirus restrictions by opening businesses, venues and other activities.
Ash said the entire economy will be able to reopen completely next month if there is no further rise in the contagion.
