Insight into virus variants added to dashboard | News item

As of today, figures on the various main variants of the coronavirus have been added to the dashboard. With this, the dashboard provides insight into the extent to which the various main virus variants in the Netherlands are expected to circulate and how the share of a certain variant changes over time. The figures are updated weekly.

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Hugo de Jonge: “It is important to keep a close eye on the variants in the Netherlands, so that we are prepared to intervene if necessary. We know that the delta variant is now advancing and will probably drive out the other variants in due course. It’s great that this addition to the dashboard provides us with more insight into this.”

The figures on the most important variants have been incorporated in a table and a graphk. The table shows the name of the variant and the expected share of the variant in the total number of infections in the Netherlands. The table also provides insight into the extent to which the share of a variant has increased, decreased or remained the same compared to the previous measurement. Furthermore, the absolute number of samples in which the variant was found is shown. This concerns the samples that have been examined additionally, specifically for variants. The table also includes a row for ‘other variants’. These are so-called ‘interesting variants’: variants of which several infections have been discovered in a certain situation or cluster or which have been found in several countries.

The graph shows how large the share of a virus variant is expected to be in the total number of infections and how these change over time. In this way it can be shown that a dominant variant is replaced by a new dominant variant over time. Currently, the alpha variant, which was first found in Great Britain, can be seen to prevail. The graph only includes those variants that are considered to be of concern by the ‘European RIVM’, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC, European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) and the World Health Organization (WHO, World Health Organization). A variant is labeled as worrisome when potentially risky changes in the virus have been found, making it, for example, more contagious, making people sicker or making the vaccine less effective.

A virus changes

With every infection with the coronavirus, the virus can change a little bit. This is often not a problem, but sometimes a small change can occur that causes the virus to behave differently. This creates a variant. If someone has tested positive for the coronavirus, you cannot immediately see which variant of the virus this person is infected with. This requires additional research. To keep a close eye on the variants, RIVM conducts research through so-called germ surveillance. This is a weekly sample of approximately 1500 samples of positive test results. RIVM analyzes these samples in collaboration with more than 25 laboratories in the Netherlands. These positive test samples are sent in by laboratories across the country. The samples in the sample allow RIVM to estimate the development of the share of a particular virus variant in the coming weeks. More information about the can be found on the RIVM website variants of the virus and the kiemsurveillance.

Dashboard provides an overview

With the crownedhboard The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport brings together important figures about the development of corona in the Netherlands, such as the number of IC admissions, positive test results and an estimate of the number of contagious people. Citizens, policymakers, journalists and scientists can see at a glance what the state of affairs is regarding the spread of the corona virus. Using the current data on the dashboard, the spread of the virus can be better monitored and appropriate measures can be taken to contain the virus.

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