The rise of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 in Israel intensifies the role of surveillance and vaccination in elderly

Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic various generic variants have been described. Of specific interest is a new variant, which was observed in England during December 2020 and is now termed B.1.1.7. This variant is now associated with increased infectivity and therefore its spread within the community is of great importance. The Israeli government established three noteworthy programs namely, mass PCR testing, focused protection of the elderly and more recently an unparalleled prioritized vaccination program. In this study we analyzed primary data of >300,000 RT-PCR samples collected throughout December 6th 2020 until February 10th 2021 in the general community and nursing homes. We identified that within a period of six weeks, the B.1.1.7 variant was capable of out competing the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 strain to become the main strain. Furthermore, we show that the transmission of B.1.1.7 in the 60+ population reached a near complete halt, due to an ongoing surveillance testing program in nursing homes and the vaccination program of Israel. Thus, proactive protection programs such as routine surveillance and monitoring of populations at risk combined with prioritized vaccination, is achievable and will result in a reduction of severe illness and subsequent death.