More than 112,000 infections, the RIVM reported yesterday. The number of infections is so high that the computer systems of the GGD can no longer handle it. Moreover, not everyone with a positive home test still goes to the GGD: in some regions it takes two days before you can go to the hospital.
Plug from the test system?
If there’s so much hassle, shouldn’t we stop? “Yes, we have to switch to a different system,” says epidemiologist Frits Rosendaal. His colleagues Patricia Bruijning and Paul Savelkoul share this opinion, but they do stipulate that we must first have reached the peak of the omikron variant.
“Once we have passed that peak, we will eventually have to stop using this system, where we run every snot through the test street,” says epidemiologist Bruijning of UMC Utrecht. She is in favor of a system in which not everyone with complaints is tested, but GPs test randomly throughout the country and share that information. “That information will then serve as a gauge for the rest of the country.”
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Why do we have the system?
Professor Frits Rosendaal shares this opinion. In order to understand it, he believes it is important to explain why we set up the current test system.
“Because of three goals,” he says. “First of all, to slow down the spread of the virus. People with a positive test go into quarantine and thus prevent the virus from spreading faster.” But times have changed because of omikron, says Rosendaal. “People are getting sick less, many people are immune, so the need to slow down the virus has become much smaller. In addition, the number of infections is so sky-high that there is not much more to slow down.”
Course of the pandemic
The other reason is to gain insight into the course of the corona pandemic. So knowledge. “But if your figures are no longer correct and the GGDs can no longer handle it, it no longer makes much sense.”
And thirdly, people who have tested positive at the GGD can receive a recovery certificate. “But that shouldn’t be a reason for such a large-scale and expensive test system.”
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Bruijning states that switching to a new system can take effect once the current peak of omikron has passed. “We are not there yet and it is still important to monitor how the infections are compared to the pressure on hospitals.”
But what does that mean if the numbers are no longer correct? Moreover, not everyone goes to the GGD. “The numbers are certainly not meaningless and definitely provide insight,” says the epidemiologist. “For example, in which age groups corona circulates the most and the percentage of positive tests remains a good indication of the extent to which the virus circulates.”
Random
Bruijning is in favor of a system of random testing. “For example, by general practitioners in the country or by volunteers. You then use that information as a gauge. We already have a monitoring system like this for the flu.”
She does not rule out the possibility of broader testing being rigged if a new variant enters our country. “New variants can make everything different again. Nobody knows how it will go, but we can’t rule it out either.”
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Professor of medical microbiology at MUMC Paul Savelkoul is also in favor of a so-called surveillance system. “That means that you do not test everyone, but you test enough to follow the virus and obtain information. So you keep a finger on the pulse.”
Self-tests
Rosendaal also sees a lot in a future with self-testing: “And in addition, a system with which we test via random samples at the general practitioners.” But Rosendaal also warns: it is too early to say goodbye to the current test system.
“With new variants, there are always a number of questions: how sickening is this variant, does vaccination protect, how contagious is this variant? We can collect the data that together determine what needs to be done via the current test system. “
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