Latest Updates on Corona Measures: Testing No Longer Necessary Since March 2023

The last corona measures expired in March 2023; So testing yourself is no longer necessary.Image Grace Cary/Getty Images

Since March 10, 2023, the same advice applies to corona as for flu and colds: stay at home if you have complaints consistent with respiratory infections, such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat and a runny or runny nose. It is also recommended that you consult with your employer in case of minor complaints whether you can work from home.

Yes, said more than eight in ten, we know the advice. Since 2020, the RIVM Behavioral Unit has been investigating, using questionnaires, how people think about these advice and to what extent they follow it. The most recent measurement round was between September 12 and 18, among almost five thousand participants.

Of the participants who had felt ill in the four weeks preceding the study, 78 percent said they had gone outside, for example for shopping or work. One in ten people who had complaints and had physical contact with a vulnerable person during that period wore a face mask.

More than 55 percent still coughed and sneezed into their elbow – which seems to have become a habit for many people – and 29 percent of participants washed their hands regularly. Finally, 70 percent of the participants provided sufficient fresh air in the home, although it is known from previous measurements that this quickly decreases with falling outside temperatures.

More worries about Ukraine than corona

According to Floor Kroese, behavioral scientist at the Behavioral Unit of the RIVM and coordinator of the study, why compliance varies so much per advice is due to various factors. “There has officially been no pandemic since the spring, so the situation is now less threatening and no rules apply anymore. The measurement in December last year already showed that more people are concerned about the war in Ukraine and climate change than about the spread of the coronavirus.”

People can think differently about each piece of advice about how well it helps against the spread of infections and how easy or difficult it is to follow the advice, says Kroese. The social norm also plays a role. “The more people don’t do it, the more likely you are to stop doing it yourself and vice versa. People will continue to perform behavior that has become a habit – such as coughing and sneezing into their elbow – for longer.”

1.5 meters is not possible everywhere

It was perhaps the most drastic (and lonely) corona measure: keeping 1.5 meters away from others. A few people still ignore others, but in general the old normal is back. In fact, we are close to each other again during parties and on public transport. “Even if you would like to keep your distance, there is less opportunity to do so because it is busier everywhere.”

90 percent of participants say they have had at least one corona shot. Just over half of them have also received the most recent injection (autumn 2022). Participants mainly choose the corona vaccinations to protect their health (95 percent) and to protect the health of those around them (77 percent). The other reason for getting a corona shot for 45 percent of respondents is to prevent healthcare from becoming overloaded.

Uneasy feeling

Even though the measures have been lifted, we may still feel uncomfortable coughing or blowing our nose in public. Why do we feel this way? Kroese: “I think we have become more aware of behaviors that can contribute to the spread of respiratory viruses such as corona. We had to explicitly adhere to rules of conduct for a longer period of time, which were also communicated about regularly. That’s why we may now feel uncomfortable if we don’t cough into our elbow or if someone glances when you blow or sneeze. In addition, flu and colds are also spread in these ways.”

The corona situation is currently stable in the Netherlands. The RIVM estimates the chance of a new corona wave to be low. Kroese therefore expects that compliance with the advice will remain the same for the time being. “When a new corona wave is lurking and this is noticeable and palpable, due to the number of hospital admissions and the pressure in healthcare, I expect that more people will follow the advice. But this is not the case now. The situation is not threatening. Four in ten participants think that it is (very) likely that there will be a new wave of corona infections this autumn.”

Reflecting on corona on September 29

King Willem-Alexander opens the exhibition in Den Bosch on Friday Reflecting on Corona, a photo exhibition that looks back on the corona crisis. September 29 has been chosen as a national day to draw attention to the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic in the Netherlands. The traveling exhibition consists of photos in which more than forty well-known and unknown Dutch people reflect on the consequences of corona for someone close to them: from the loss of a loved one to a still uncertain economic future and victims of long covid.

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2023-09-28 12:57:04
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