Rise in serious cases attributed to change in classifying patients — report

A sharp spike in serious virus cases recorded last week was the result of a change in the way hospitals classify patients and not an actual rash of people severely ill with the coronavirus, Channel 13 news reports.

The number of serious cases jumped from around 46 on June 30 to close to 90 on July 4. There are currently 89 people listed in serious condition, according to Health Ministry figures released Tuesday morning.

According to the report, the change in how patients are classified brought the hospitals in line with WHO recommendations, but was not explained to the public, leaving the impression that many more people were seriously ill. The change means that anyone with oxygen saturation at 94 percent or lower is listed in serious condition, even if they seem fine.

While Israel has seen the number of new daily cases hit around 1,000, the number of serious cases has remained only a tiny fraction, a gap which officials have struggled to explain, and which some have pointed to as an argument against reimposing restrictive measures that will damage the economy.

The number of people on ventilators has also risen slowly, from 23 on June 30 to 35 today, which some say is due to a shift away from using the machines as anything but a last-ditch intervention.

Eighteen deaths have been recorded since June 30.