Coronavirus in Israel: Who is sick and where do they live?
Of the 19,055 people who have caught coronavirus, only 3,380 are still infected
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANPolice tape is seen in Jerusalem as coronavirus restrictions are imposed on the city.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
More than nine out of 10 Israelis who have coronavirus are under the age of 70. And most patients are being treated at home.As coronavirus cases are surging again across the Jewish state – some 19,000 people have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, since the start of the crisis – The Jerusalem Post asks what we know about the latest cases.Of the 19,055 people who have caught coronavirus, only 3,380 are still infected. Among those active cases, the vast majority (3,301) have mild symptoms. The rest are in moderate (46) or serious (33) condition as of Sunday night, according to the Health Ministry.Some 24 people are on ventilators, 300 people have died and 15,375 have recovered.On average, 160 people are diagnosed positive each day.Where are they being treated? The majority (3,247) are receiving home care or recovering in a state-run “coronavirus hotel,” and 133 are being treated in the hospital.So far, 226,101 Israelis (about 2.5%) have been in isolation, according to a report released earlier Sunday. Currently, around 16,000 people are in quarantine.SINCE THE start of the crisis in the beginning of February, Israel has tested 747,941 (about 7.5%) people for the virus. However, since May 31 when Health Minister Yuli Edelstein changed the country’s screening policy, many more people are being tested. The average number of daily tests last week was 11,926; about 1.34% of those screened are found to have the virus.However, this Saturday, only 6.937 people were screened, and therefore only 83 Israelis tested positive.According to Dr. Shuki Shemer, chairman of the board of the Assuta Medical Centers, the median age in the country is 30. Because Israeli society is younger, most of those who contract the virus are younger, too, making it less likely that they will succumb to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
So far, 16,849 coronavirus patients (out of 18,448 at the time the data was recorded – 91.3%) have been under 70 and only 1,599 were older.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that older people and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, asthma and obesity have a greater risk of becoming seriously ill from coronavirus.So where is the virus?There are patients in 317 different cities and towns across Israel.As of Sunday morning, the 17 cities with the greatest number of active patients (about two-thirds of the total) were: Jerusalem (592), Tel Aviv (417), Bnei Brak (309), Rahat (107), Beersheba (106), Bat Yam (84), Petah Tikva (80), Netanya (75), Arara (72), Rishon Lezion (69), Holon (63), Beit Shemesh (62), Hura (57), Ashdod (54), Ashkelon (49), Sderot (42) and Holon (42).And in the schools?
According to the Education Ministry, there are 526 sick teachers and students, with 25,669 in isolation. Some 186 schools are closed.The highest rates of infection in schools are in the three most infected cities: Jerusalem (40%), Tel Aviv (15%) and Bnei Brak (4%).
