Health official: Virus cases rising, but no increase in patients in serious condition

Health Ministry Director-General Nachman Ash says that while the number of new virus cases is increasing, similar increases are not being seen in the number of patients in serious condition, showing that the new strain of the Omicron appears to cause no more serious disease than the original variant.

“The number of patients in critical condition has not increased in recent days and this indicates that the new variant is probably causing the same disease as the Omicron. It’s part of living alongside the virus,” Ash tells Army Radio.

Israel has seen an increase in the transmission rate and new daily cases in recent days, but hospitalizations of patients in serious condition are holding steady.

Health officials have in part attributed the current rise in cases to the BA.2 variant, a subvariant of Omicron.

BA.2 is believed to be more infectious than Omicron, but not necessarily more severe.