IDF report: British variant increases chance of hospitalization by 60-70%

Ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s Coronavirus Cabinet meeting, the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate released a report on the infection rates in Israel, recommending the government reconsider its decision to continue reopening.

“Especially against the backdrop of the rise in the infection coefficient, we need to reconsider the next stages in reopening the economy, and to continue to act to prevent the entry of foreign variants,” Kikar Hashabbat quoted the authors as stating.

“The downward trend in infections has stopped,” the report continued, noting that at the same time, the “scope is still large – the number of seriously ill patients remains relatively high – over 750. The infection coefficient has risen in the past few weeks and nearly reached 1 in the past few days, which is a sign that the drop has slowed to a stop, and the percentage of positive tests on a national level remains relatively high – a sign of the widescale infections among the population.”

“The change in the downward trend of infections seems to be connected to the removal of restrictions and the contribution of the British variant, which became dominant in Israel some time ago.

“This variant is much more contagious, relative to the previous strains, and studies have shown that it increases the chance of serious infections and of hospitalizations by 60-70% more than the original strain. Therefore, more than ever, personal responsibility is required, as is keeping the guidelines.”