COVID-19, flu in winter could mean 'catastrophe' for Israeli hospitals

• Published date: 13 October 2021
• Author: MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"There is a real concern about the decline in the rate of people vaccinating for both flu and coronavirus," said Dr. Ehud Drucker, deputy of the Emergency Medicine Department at Samson Assuta Ashdod Hospital. "A combination of both viruses doubles the chances of serious illness and mortality, alongside a return to impossible workloads in the country's hospitals. Flu and corona could be a catastrophe."

Drucker said that many people, especially young ones, have become complacent now that they have received a third shot of the COVID vaccine and because there was no flu in Israel last year, and are therefore choosing not to get inoculated against the flu.

He said this is exacerbated by a reduction in hygiene habits this year over last, when people were more fearful of catching coronavirus because they had not been vaccinated.

The flu season has already started, according to head of Public Health Services Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, and she said that there are already several dozen cases in Israel.

The hospitals, even as coronavirus cases go down, are still very full, said Prof. Eli Lev, director of the Division of Cardiology at Assuta. He said that in his own unit, doctors are seeing a "huge surge" in patients hospitalized with acute heart conditions, mainly because they did not want to come in for help during COVID peaks.

"Some are in very severe condition from delaying coming to the ER," Lev said.

Drucker said that failing to vaccinate against flu...