Of all infectious diseases, Covid in 2021 took by far the healthiest years of life. Last year, 218,900 Dutch healthy years were lost to disease. Both premature death and lost years of health count.
The so-called disease burden due to corona was therefore slightly higher last year than in 2020, reports RIVM. For that year, the health institute reached 207,000 healthy years lost.
With 6,300 years of healthy life lost, Legionella (Legionnaires’ disease) ranks second in terms of disease burden. Severe pneumococcal disease required 6,200 healthy years, the researchers estimated.
Due to all the corona measures, various other infectious diseases have probably been suppressed. For example, the flu was not among the top three diseases requiring the healthiest years of life. There was a modest flu outbreak last winter, but it only started after far-reaching measures had already been released. A disease like whooping cough has almost disappeared.
The number of scabies cases has increased despite hygiene measures
One infectious disease that has continued to spread despite all hygiene measures is scabies. Researchers are unaware of the cause of this increase.
They stress that scabies should primarily be fought with a “group-oriented approach.” This means that all occupants of a house must undergo treatments and comply with washing regulations. This is the only way they can get rid of the scabies mite, the culprit.
“Often the general practitioner or dermatologist concentrates on the treatment of the individual patient. Given the national increase, this approach seems to be not effective enough, because too little attention is paid to the treatment of contacts,” says the RIVM.
Information is also important, especially for young people with many different contacts.
