Epidemiologist is irritated by people’s behavior: ‘Incomprehensible and super-annoying’

Epidemiologist Frits Rosendaal of the Leiden University Medical Center LUMC finds it “incomprehensible and super-irritating” that, despite the rising corona numbers, people do not keep enough distance from each other to prevent infection. “In March and April people were scared and the streets empty. Then there were hardly any fallen here in the area. But now people still often pretend that nothing is wrong. ”

It is a problem especially in the big cities. There the people are closer together. There are also many young people living there, who now mainly spread the virus. “In the spring the epidemic was mainly in rural areas, which is not so common. But that was partly due to the carnival. ”

Stricter lockdown

We may have become too happy in the summer, with the milder measures and the nice weather, he estimates. “Even the prime minister, although that is in his nature.” A strict (re) lockdown would certainly not be a bad idea for the epidemiologist. “But I’m not a self-employed person, I understand the objections. Nevertheless, pursuing a semi-soft policy for a long time may be just as bad for the economy. The prime minister wants to fight the virus with a hammer, he said in his latest press conference. But according to Rosendaal it must be bigger than a hammer. “A ‘sledge hammer’ makes more sense.”

Nevertheless, he wants to wait until mid-next week with a final judgment, to see whether the latest measures still yield sufficient results. It is too early for that a week after the last press conference. “It was to be expected that the figures would rise first. But if they don’t rise less quickly next week, it will be unfortunate. ”

Below the radar

He emphasizes that all positive tests do not mean that everyone will get sick. “In the spring much more remained under the radar.” It is also mainly working people who get tested, and therefore not seniors, who are more vulnerable. Those seniors are often on their guard now, but young people can also become seriously ill, he also sees in Leiden. “And look at ex-Prime Minister and current Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès of Belgium. She is 45 and is now on the ic. ”

However, many people can now leave the hospital earlier, precisely because they are often younger and there is more experience in treating Covid patients.

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