Survey finds that 5.5 percent of Israelis have antibodies
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Survey finds that 5.5 percent of Israelis have antibodies

Nationwide serological poll indicate the country is far from achieving so-called 'herd immunity' from the pandemic.

Israeli medical personnel take samples at a drive through COVID-19 testing facility in the northern city of Tzfat, on September, 29 2020. Israel has registered more than 234,060 coronavirus cases with 1,516 deaths, out of a population of nine million. Photo by: David Cohen-JINIPIX
Israeli medical personnel take samples at a drive through COVID-19 testing facility in the northern city of Tzfat, on September, 29 2020. Israel has registered more than 234,060 coronavirus cases with 1,516 deaths, out of a population of nine million. Photo by: David Cohen-JINIPIX

A nationwide serological survey conducted by the Health Ministry from July to September found that 5.5 percent of Israelis have coronavirus antibodies, indicating that the country is far from achieving so-called “herd immunity” from the pandemic.

The study released last week indicated the virus was far more widespread than known, but fell short of assessments that had predicted the pathogen had gone undetected in the vast majority of cases.

According to the study, up to half a million people may have caught the virus, about double the number of cases that had been confirmed by the end of September, and about four times the number who had been confirmed infected at the start of September.

The Health Ministry announcement did not say whether the study had included September and a spokesperson could not be reached
for clarification.

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