Now that schools are reopening, it is very important to keep a finger on the pulse, according to the virologist, because the risk of the Omicron variant has still not been fully mapped out. “The variant is probably less sickening and circulates faster, and hospital admissions in countries like Denmark and England are not yet going up dramatically.” Still, Osterhaus thinks it’s good that the Netherlands has been strict with a tough lockdown compared to other European countries. “It’s a good thing that we were a frontrunner once, also because we were at the bottom of the booster list.”
From next week, former colleague of Osterhaus, Ernst Kuipers, will be in charge of the Ministry of Health. The virologist is very satisfied with this: “He knows what a hospital is, which enables him to make the right decisions as a minister. I think it is courageous that he has taken this step.”
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