18 March 2022
There is officially a flu epidemic in the Netherlands, report research institute Nivel and health institute RIVM. The rise in the number of flu cases is linked to the loosening of corona measures, allowing people to have more contact with each other again.
Earlier, fewer people had flu than in times before corona, probably due to Covid measures, which also worked against influenza virus infection. Now that many measures have been abandoned, people have more contact with others again and the risk of respiratory infections such as flu may also increase, say Nivel and RIVM.
More people with flu
Recently, the number of people with flu already increased significantly. Last week, influenza virus was found in even more throat and nose samples, according to data from Nivel, health institute RIVM and Erasmus MC. Last week, influenza virus was found in more than half of the samples.
“We generally speak of a flu epidemic when more than 58 in 100,000 people visit their GP with flu-like symptoms for two consecutive weeks and at least 10 per cent of these people have the influenza virus,” Nivel explains.
Flu symptoms resemble coronasymptoms
This winter, the organisation does say it is difficult to determine whether there is a flu epidemic, says Nivel. “This is because the symptoms of flu are very similar to those of coronavirus, and many people with flu-like symptoms will go to a GGD test line or do a self-test. As a result, fewer people with respiratory infections go to the GP than in previous years.”
However, since November 2021, some of the samples from corona test streets have been examined by RIVM for the presence of flu viruses. “Therefore, we see the increase in the number of flu viruses not only in GP practices, but also in GGD test lines. And laboratories and hospitals also indicate an increase,” they said.
English (UK)