The Israel Today survey through the Maagar Mohot Institute reveals: 90% of citizens are worried about the plague • Despite this, 30% do not wear a mask regularly • 40% have changed their shopping habits • and 47% are optimistic about the possibility of returning to routine in the coming year

• Many Israelis have changed their shopping habits // Photo: Gil Eliyahu / Ginny

The corona is very detrimental to health, livelihoods and family and social life. Most of the public in Israel is very worried about the health condition of their family because of the virus, the Israeli citizen spends more at home and goes out less to family events. Also, most Israelis report that they have been economically affected by the corona to the point that almost 70% report that they have reduced spending on both basic products and luxuries.

These findings emerge from the Israel Today survey conducted on July 29 and 30 by Prof. Yitzhak Katz of the Maagar Mohot Research Institute, and illustrate the extent of the Corona epidemic's social and health damage to Israel, as in most countries around the world. Among those aged 18 and over, Jews and Arabs, and the size of the statistical error in the survey is 4.4 percent.

In recent weeks, the public and media discourse has focused on the acute economic crisis in Israel and the millions of citizens affected by it. Senior Ministry of Health and Corona Superintendent Prof. Roni Gamzo has been trying to disguise and recently obscure the severe health damage to the corona in the public, and they rarely talk about the severe damage to hundreds of critically ill patients and the cumulative tragic deaths of more than 500. In the past week, nearly 70 more corona deaths have been added. This is to the extent that Prof. Gamzo's attempt to evade answering a direct question addressed to him on this subject a week ago.

However, the survey shows that most Israelis (78%) are unimpressed by the serious attempts to obscure the severity and severity of the corona's health damage, they understand the severity of the epidemic and are very concerned about the health of those close to them following the corona: 42% are very concerned. 33% are moderately worried, 15% are slightly worried and only 7% are not worried at all. In the comparison of the age groups, one can see unexpected data according to which 18- to 30-year-olds are concerned about the health damage to their relatives, no less than the elderly and the elderly.

2% wear a mask only in enclosed spaces, 70% of the public indicate that they wear a mask in all required cases, 21% indicate that they wear a mask in most required cases and only 2% indicated that they wear almost no mask.

These data are worrying and low in relation to the data required, according to the Ministry of Health, to reduce the infections from Corona in a much more significant and lasting way.

The data again show that there is a continuing failure in the Ministry of Health's explanation of the critical importance of wearing the mask and there is a failure in the continuous and effective enforcement of this duty.

According to the survey data, there are also significant gaps in compliance with the obligation to wear the mask. While in 18-30 year olds only 61% indicate that they wear a mask in all required cases, 80% of 50-64 year olds indicate that they do so, and 73% of people aged 65 and over.

The findings may point to one of the causes of morbidity and mortality in the second wave that is smaller in relation to the extent of infection with the virus, but, again, illustrates the urgent need for information and enforcement, all against the backdrop of Corona Commissioner Prof Gamzo's statement. The second and the continuation of life in the shadow of the corona without the Ministry of Health being forced to re-impose severe restrictions and closures to reduce the spread of the plague.

A change in lifestyle

The survey also illustrates the extent of the dramatic and shaky change in lifestyle that the corona epidemic causes for the majority of Israelis.

According to the survey, 67% of the public leave the house less, 66% enter shops and enclosed spaces less and 70% reduce the number of personal meetings and their social life.

In addition, 60% reduced the number of family visits they made, 47% reduced the number of visits to work and work meetings, and 40% chose to buy more via the Internet and deliveries.

According to senior health officials, we will all have to live in the shadow of the corona for many more months and even many years, and even if the long-awaited vaccine for the epidemic is found, significant changes in the lives of all of us will be required.

 The survey data indicate the urgency of restoring public confidence in the Ministry of Health's directives and in planning the lives of the economy, society and educational institutions in a way that suits the new life and new habits in the shadow of the Corona: from institutionalizing work from home, budgeting outside cultural halls, massive encouragement of trade and the economy. Significant and more sustained financial assistance to the public, ending with urgent planning for the coming school year in schools and academia.