Coronavirus morbidity is on the rise and the possibility of a third lockdown has returned to the agenda. 103FM correspondent Sivan Cohen spoke to Assuta Medical Center director Prof. Shuki Shemer, who criticized the way the crisis has been handled.
"In the last two months I have been saying that we are on a clear path towards a lockdown, but it can still be prevented if the right actions are taken to prevent the increase in the number of verified cases, the coefficient of infection and the patients," said Prof. Shemer.
Shemer commented on the alarming photos from the airport published this week, "I cannot understand what is happening at the airport at all. We should have instituted reforms the same as every other country. Everyone who entered the State of Israel should have had to do a corona check at the entrance and until the result is negative they should not leave the hotel. They did nothing, neither tests nor isolation - that's the result and it's a shame. "
Later, he commented on the vaccination campaign that will begin in Israel next week and updated that he will be vaccinated on Sunday at 07:30. He says he is not at all afraid of the vaccine: "Life is full of risks, in the end we must stop this epidemic. I will get vaccinated for 3 reasons - to protect myself, not to infect others and also to contribute to public health."
Shemer stressed that "the disease harms people, causes serious illness, can cause death ,and even those who recover a large part of them suffer long-term harm. The epidemic will not stop if there is no vaccination, and the herd immunity which we thought would come has not come. Even in Sweden it did not come. Therefore, the only way to return to a normal routine is to get vaccinated."
On the differences between Moderna's and Pfizer's vaccines, he said: "At this point I can say the technology is similar. Beyond that, we will have to wait patiently for FDA approval."