10% to 20% of Israelis with corona infected with British mutation
The British mutation has likely spread much more rapidly across the country. It could impact the lockdown timetable.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANIsrael's coronavirus czar Prof. Nachman Ash seen during a visit at the Jerusalem Municipality on November 22, 2020.(photo credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH 90)
Some 10% to 20% of Israelis are infected with the British variant of the novel coronavirus, according to Prof. Nachman Ash.Speaking Sunday at a briefing, he said that the British mutation has likely spread much more rapidly across the country and could impact how quickly Israel is able to exit the lockdown.“Before the mutation came into the picture, we thought that we would leave this closure fast - faster than the previous lockdowns,” Ash said. “The mutation brought another perspective, and now we have to think how to open the economy with this in mind.”He said there is still no magic number for resuming activities, but the Health Ministry would make a recommendation based on infection rate, the more it learns about the mutation and the pace of vaccination both of the high-risk population and the masses.He added that whereas the Health Ministry was long focused on a reproduction rate (R) of one, “if we see that it does not go under one then we need to decide if we are willing to accept the increase in infection if the serious cases are dropping.“Our strategy is to inoculate the people who are at the highest risk, so we can open the economy even if the number of infected has still not gone down,” Ash said.On Sunday, the Health Ministry reported 5,047 new cases of the virus. There were 1,029 in serious condition – the highest number since the start of the pandemic.The commissioner noted that the country should see the impact of the first vaccines in the coming days.Regarding the South African variant, he confirmed that the Health Ministry discovered four cases over the weekend. He said the ministry was working fast and hard to contain the spread of the variant, which so far has only been detected in two related infection chains.Ash added that there have only been two small studies checking whether the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will work against the South African mutation. One small study was worrying, while another appeared to have positive results.
