Researchers at the Hebrew University said today (Saturday) about the spread of the coronavirus' omicron strain that "the rapid spread is expected to continue in the coming weeks, so that the numbers infected in the optimistic scenario will exceed 20,000 next week and continue to rise in the second week of January."
The researchers added that the high number of infections, together with the estimated risk of serious illness in adults with a vaccine that is not valid, is expected to create a very high burden in hospitals in the second half of January.
Minister Horowitz: "We will consider abolishing isolation for vaccinated people returning from non-red countries" // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
According to them, since most of the infected are expected to be infected in the next two weeks, there is a high urgency to complete the vaccine among the at-risk population.
In addition, the high number of infected people raises the need to focus efforts on protecting the at-risk population.
Regarding the gap between the rate of increase in severe morbidity and the rate of increase in the numbers of those infected, the researchers explain that this gap may be related to the continued development of the delta wave.
Prof. Nachman Ash: "We have approved the fourth dose for those who have suppressed the immune system, we will consider expanding it to the entire population" // Photo: Moshe Ben Simhon
Just last week, a horror scenario was presented to senior Israeli health officials, according to which if the Omicron variant spreads in Israel at the rate at which it spreads in some countries around the world, such as Britain and Denmark, Israel could reach 90,000 new nationals a day and 4 million Israelis infected. About a month and a half at Omicron.
According to the scenario, there is indeed "research evidence for a certain decrease in the violence of the variant", but a slight decrease compared to the expected increase in infections, which is three to four times faster, and possibly even more than we knew - also due to "increased ability to infect an immunized population" .
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