Israel Active

Emergency service Magen David Adom and its 24,000 volunteers were critical to Israel’s pandemic strategy. Its trained volunteer call center handled over 100,000 calls a day and it minimized hospitalizations by testing 240,000 patients away from hospitals.

The US FDA has allowed the use of technology developed by Israel’s Aidoc Medical.to detect lung anomalies in CT-scans that are associated with coronavirus (Covid-19). It provides early detection of infected patients who show no coronavirus symptoms.

The 22-year-old critical coronavirus patient who woke from a 3-week coma in April has now begun rehabilitation at Sheba hospital.

The Israel Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona has developed four antibodies that attack the coronavirus and neutralize it in the body of an infected person. It is described as Israel’s “Manhattan Project” to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic. Trials and production planning have begun.

Israeli researchers have devised a sniff-test using shampoo and rotten fish, to determine if brain-injured patients have a chance of recovery. If the patient showed a predictable response, that person had a 100% chance of recovering consciousness and a 92% chance of surviving 3+ years.

The Israeli-developed Gammora HIV treatment is being used to treat HIV patients at the Cliniquie La Source hospital in the Congo. Those also with coronavirus significantly improved from both infections. A subsequent WHO-supervised study has confirmed the findings.

As reported previously, seriously ill coronavirus patients have benefited from blood plasma containing antibodies from patients who themselves have recovered from the virus. Now the MDA blood service has enough plasma to produce multiple concentrated antibody injections. Latest – up to 100,000 Israelis are to be imminently tested to check if they have the antibodies.

Over 4 years ago , Israel’s NanoPass developed a microneedle system to deliver vaccines to cancer immunotherapy patients. Now the system is ready to deliver a future coronavirus vaccine. Its advantage is that less vaccine is required than using a regular needle.

Israeli-founded SaNOtize, has been granted approval by Health Canada to conduct a Phase II trial for its antiviral early treatment against COVID-19. The Nitric Oxide Releasing Solution (NORS) was effective in the lab against influenza A, hCoV-OC43 and H1N1 (swine flu).

The Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded $11 million of coronavirus grants to Israeli hospitals. It includes $5 million to eight Clalit Health Services hospitals. Another million dollars went to each of the hospitals of Poriya, Hadassah, Rambam, Shaare Zedek, Sheba and Sourasky.