The members of the struggle team in Corona will focus on the briefing for the serological survey • Maj. Gen. Miki Edelstein, who is part of the team focusing on the ultra-Orthodox sector, will also participate.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Health and the fight team in Corona are currently (Monday) conducting a media briefing on the subject of serological coverage.
The briefing includes Maj. Gen. (Res.) Miki Edelstein, who serves as part of the Corona fight team in the ultra-Orthodox sector, and Dr. Boaz Lev, head of the epidemic team at the Ministry of Health. The briefing was held at the Corona Control Center at the Ministry of Health in Kiryat Sadeh.
Ministry of Health briefing // Photo: GPO
Earlier it was revealed in Israel today that all health system workers across the country will conduct an antibody survey, which is expected to begin early next week.
Its purpose is to check whether there are employees who have been infected without knowing it and can be defined as "recovering from corona".
The implications for the health care system are enormous, because workers who are found to be recovering will not have to stay in isolation if they are exposed to a verified patient.
But other than that there will be no change in the definitions of protection or physical distance required.
"In the coming days we will start summoning health system workers for serological tests to find out if they have been to Corona in the past. The savings in insulation for the health system is very significant. Manpower is lacking and worn out, and towards winter we need our staffs ready," said Haim Fernandez "At the height of morbidity in Corona, 10% of my employees were in isolation and such a 'recovery certificate' could be in the amazing line."
Dr. Yotam Shenhar, Director of the Laboratories Division at Leumit, stated: "We will offer all Leumit employees to participate in the survey.
An employee who wishes will fill out a questionnaire and sample, and the data will be forwarded to the Ministry of Health for processing.
The intention is to repeat the survey over time to check the strength of the immune response and whether there are other people who are exposed to the virus. "
Dr. Sharon Elrai-Price, head of public health services, said at a briefing ten days ago: “These days we are starting to do the next serological survey.
We will start testing antibodies in medical staff and test more people.
"There is no doubt that the positive rate today is more than 3.8% or 5.5%, but in a rough estimate we are not above 20%."
The serological surveys conducted so far in the country have shown that the number of people exposed to the virus is 7-10 times higher than the number actually diagnosed (in the test of the pen) than they thought and this may be the case among health care workers.
This is the case in the first serological survey, the findings of which were published in June and found that 2% of the population (about 200,000 people) had antibodies to corona, as 10 of the rate actually diagnosed at that time.
The second serological survey, the results of which were published this month, found that 5.5% of the population had been exposed to corona and developed antibodies and were in fact "recovering", a rate that is seven times higher than the number actually diagnosed during the survey (June-July).
A serological survey conducted by Prof. Gili Regev Yohai in August among Sheba Hospital staff found that one-tenth of the workers had antibodies to corona.
