47-year-old dies of flu complication at Soroka; 826 hospitalized since start of season

In depth

A 47-year-old man, a resident of Ar'ara in the Negev, who had not been vaccinated against influenza, died at Soroka Medical Center from a complication of the flu. He returned from a visit to Saudi Arabia with a cold, and within a short time developed symptoms that progressed to severe shortness of breath and serious lung damage.

The man was hospitalized in critical condition and transferred to the internal intensive care unit, where he was connected to an ECMO machine, which provides extracorporeal support for lung function. Despite the efforts of the medical teams, his condition continued to deteriorate, and he died. Soroka's spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, the patient died."

Since the start of the season, 826 people have been hospitalized with flu in hospitals, and 28 of the hospitalized patients confirmed to have flu have died. According to a Health Ministry report, 27 of the deceased were aged 65 and over. Only about 10% of the population has been vaccinated against the disease.