One out of 100 Chareidim over 60 in Israel have died of the coronavirus, Prof. Eran Segal, a computational biologist at Weizmann Institute, told Israel’s coronavirus cabinet on Monday.
The number is staggering in comparison to the general population in Israel, in which one in 350 people over 60 have died of the coronavirus. In the Arab sector, one out of every 140 people over age 60 died of the coronavirus.
“If the infection rate in the general sector was similar to the rate in the Chareidi sector, there would have been a possible 7,600 additional fatalities in the over 60 age group,” Segal said.
Segal added that 93% of coronavirus fatalities in Israel occurred in the above 60 age group.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
6 Responses
Sadly the Chareidi often not wearing ask, had a terrible input into these tragic figures.
I’m not a hater I’m just so disturbed by this fact. I’ve heard similar statistics in the US when comparing Chariedi communities vs. the modern orthodox, or even just less yeshivish and chasidish communities. Something is very wrong if there is a lack of value for human life. I know it’s not everyone, but why is there so much of it? Why was my town a measles hotspot? Am I in the right place? I don’t want to be hateful, I’m just so disturbed.
Hashems will
Dear Professor Segal
First of all we thank you for all your efforts and research into covid 19, we are sure your efforts will help to understanding the pandemic.
However, i feel it necessary to point out that you are making a very elementary mistake abut the chareidi tzibbur for numerous reasons, but primarily because the chareidi tzibbur is on average way way younger than the genearl public due to our large families.
You have estiated the tzibbur, say as million people, , and have assumed that say 20% are over sixty…. the truth is however that since the birthrate is so much higher a much lower pertentage of the tzibbur is over 60% – so the numbers are inherently flawed.
Additionally past research has shown that the life expectancy in b’nei brak is between ten months and a year higher than other cities in E. israel – so automatically you will ave more susceptible seniors.
Wishing you all the nest, and thanks again for all your efforts,
RR44
There are far fewer Hareidi over 60, as a percentage of the population, than among the general population.
Also, in other countries, the line over which most deaths occur is 75, so that is used to studying the impact of Covid19 on the the elderly.
akuperma, as is said a distinction without a difference. the obvious lack of social distancing, many maskless people, and the lack of unequivocal rabbinic support for government initiatives is killing people. Hopefully, the vaccine will be taken and on to the next crisis.