Lockdown affects adults more than the elderly, and women more than men, an innovative study by Tel Aviv University and the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo revealed Monday.
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The country is just now emerging from the third nationwide lockdown imposed over the pandemic.
Israel reported 700,479 cases and 5,192 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Some 625,167 have recovered from COVID. More than a third of the population, 3,540,942 Israelis, have received the first dose of the vaccination, and 2,157,100 have been fully immunized.
Some 169 Israelis participated in the research that examined their quality of life during the second lockdown. One group consisted of participants over the age of 60, the other Israelis between the age of 20 and 40.
A special application provided researchers with everyday data on participants' mood, stress levels, sleep quality duration, resting heart rate, interaction with other people, and exercise.
The data revealed that the lockdown significantly affected the mood of adults in relation to the elderly. On a scale from -2 to 2, adults reported an 0.89 decrease in their mood before and an 0.72 decrease during the lockdown. In comparison, the elderly reported a much slighter 0.85 drop in their mood before and 0.8 during the lockdown.
The data showed that the stress level among men decreased during the lockdown, while among women, it increased. One of the explanations that the researchers proposed is based on the Economy Ministry's report that stated that more women than men have been fired since the outbreak of the pandemic or have been sent on unpaid leave. Another explanation offered by the researchers is that women are the ones who usually take care of the children who stay at home when the education system is closed.
In addition, women have had fewer face-to-face interactions than men. Researchers explain that such casual interactions, with a neighbor on the stairwell or a bus driver, are known to improve mood and reduce depression and anxiety.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported 7,761 new cases on Tuesday of the 91,209 it administered the day before. There are currently 70,120 active cases in the country. Some 1,710 Israelis are being hospitalized, 404 are in critical condition, and 306 are on ventilators.
Also on Monday, the Shin Bet security agency announced that Israelis who received both vaccinations and possess a so-called "green passport" that confirms so, will no longer be receiving SMS requiring them to self-quarantine if they came into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.
Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen explained that "the rate of the vaccination [campaign] and the number of those recovered significantly reduce the number of those required to self-quarantine."
In the meantime, as malls and restaurants across the country are threatening to open their restaurants starting Thursday in defiance of Health Ministry restrictions, the Israel Police announced that it would continue to enforce regulations as is required, including restrictions on trade, congregation, and the obligation to wear a mask and self-quarantine.
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