As Older Generation Completes Vaccinations, COVID-19 Targets Israel’s Young People, Causing Serious Issues

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — As Israel’s vaccination campaign succeeds in protecting more and more of the older age group, with over 85% of those aged 50 and over already vaccinated, the virus is hitting more and more younger people, with some of them developing more serious and even life-threatening symptoms. Just this week a 32-year-old pregnant mother of 4 died of coronavirus after she had delayed taking a vaccination. Her fetus did not survive as well.

Many other young people have experienced breathing difficulties after contracting coronavirus. This week 11-year-old Liel, who was sick with coronavirus was hospitalized in serious condition and placed on a ventilator, after her mother had fallen ill with the virus.

The father of the girl, Roy Dubinski, described how it began: “Ten days ago Liel woke  up with a sore throat and fever. I decided I wouldn’t play around and went to the drive-in check up in Tel Aviv. In the evening they called my wife and informed her that Liel tested positive for coronavirus.

“At the beginning it was like flu, with fever rising and falling like a see-saw,” Dubinski added. “It didn’t matter how many medicines we gave, her fever didn’t go down. After a few days I checked her saturation and it was low. My mother brought an oxygen machine from Yad Sarag and Liel was attached to it all day. On Friday night she woke up at 3 AM and said “Daddy, save me, I’m suffocating.”

“I was devastated, this is my only daughter. We didn’t know what to do, neither me nor my wife who herself was sick with COVID-19. I decided not to play around any longer because I didn’t know what could happen if G-d forbid the electricity would fall. I’m not a doctor. I called an ambulance and we came to Kaplan hospital.

“She came out the ambulance respirated and was taken to emergency care and then to the ICU. I felt the sky was falling on me. I hadn’t slept all week, I fell apart and cried a lot. I had helped them and given all I could, but it wasn’t enough.

“During the week my wife was diagnosed with COVID-19 and was also taken to the emergency room. My father, who was a month after the second vaccination, tested positive but he had no symptoms while my wife had strong muscle pains, weakness and tiredness. My wife is a fighter, she trains and is a vegetarian, she’s usually very strong but COVID-19 is stronger.”

Roy said that his wife was active in groups opposed to the vaccination and wrote posts against it. “Today she is remorseful, she knows there’s no option but to vaccinate. Until it hits your home, you don’t really know what it is. When she didn’t see many people sick she was uncertain but the moment it knocks on your door, your view changes.”

After a very rough week, Liel’s situation has improved and there is room for optimism. Roy says that “she is a strong and mature girl, she feels she’s going to defeat this. The most important thing is to go and vaccinate, don’t play with yourselves or those around you.”