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The Corona: The Ability To Return To The Reality We Knew - We Have Israel today

2022-01-20T21:25:50.269Z


Contrary to everything we've known in the last two years, as the number of verified people increases, so do restrictions.


Contrary to everything we have known in the last two years, and seemingly paradoxically, the more the number verified to Omicron increases - the more we part with more and more restrictions.

From shortening the isolation period to 5 days (previously there were 14, 10 and 7), through recognizing home antigen tests for self-release from isolation to what appears to be a return of the education system to a normal school routine soon.

As the information gathered indicates a mild morbidity and relatively limited effects of the omicron on the healthcare system, the greater the confidence of professionals to get life routine back on track.

We probably won't get up one morning to announce "the plague is over," but when we look back we'll find out in retrospect.


In fact already now, in January 2022, if you look back you see that the reality has changed almost beyond recognition thanks to vaccines, preventive drug treatment for a serious illness and since the omicron variant is lighter compared to its predecessors.

Prime Minister Bennett and ministers announce: An end to isolation in the education system. Photo: GPO

It is likely that the face masks will not soon disappear from public space (not as a duty, but as a voluntary act), and the fear of infection will not completely disappear (especially among at-risk populations), but with each passing day we are taking huge steps towards treating corona as a seasonal disease. Periodic, whose main impact is on at-risk populations. Now the main question is - what is the point in time when such a decision will be made? And as a result, the question also arises as to what data-based information does the health system need to make the strategic decision that they are moving from epidemic management to dealing with endemic disease?


Informed risk management is an integral part of the medical world. As far as the Corona is concerned, can a new variant suddenly appear that will shuffle the cards and take us back to a policy of restrictions? The answer is yes.

The rate of change that the corona virus undergoes is relatively high (even in relation to the flu), making it an unstable pathogen - so it's a risk.

But is it only for fear of uncertainty about what will happen in the future that it is worthwhile to avoid returning life to routine and full functioning today?

definitely not.

In addition, alongside the existing information on the Long Covid phenomenon, it will be quite a few more years before the picture becomes clear regarding the long-term effects of the corona virus on human health.

As mentioned, uncertainty is an integral part of the health field, so it is not possible to determine and manage today's health policy based on what may be discovered in 10 or 20 years.

In light of the information gathered in Israel and around the world, today even the leaders of the health system feel more confident in taking calculated risks in order to enjoy the many benefits of getting life back on track.

It's important to understand - it's not that the health care system has recently given up or succumbed to external dictates - it is simply taking risks and adapting health policy to the evolving reality.

So as of today, and in the hope that the Corona will not surprise in the negative as it has done in the past, there is a reasonable chance that we will soon return to the life we ​​knew.

The author is a health policy expert and a member of the Cabinet of Experts

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Source: israelhayom

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