At the end of February, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) thought that the corona virus was less deadly than the flu virus. This is evident from documents submitted by RTL News have been requested from the Ministry of Security and Justice.
The documents state that the verdict about the mortality of the corona virus was made on February 26. Two days later it could be read that COVID-19 ‘is very similar to the normal flu virus’.
‘Common flu’
Ministry officials mainly tried to prevent ‘major unrest because of the virus’. They were concerned that the virus would spread quickly, while the population had not yet built up immunity. This would put a lot of pressure on healthcare.
Nevertheless, at the time, the ministry advised people not to fear contamination as soon as they showed a cold. The chance of ‘regular’ flu or another cold virus would be ‘much higher’.
Two weeks later, the world looked different: on March 16, schools closed and a partial lockdown was declared. RTL therefore concludes that the Ministry of VWS was initially thought too lightly about it.
‘Living in retrospect is beautiful’
A matter of progressive insight from the ministry, according to candidate-MP for the CDA Lucille Werner in Goedemorgen Nederland. “It is incredibly difficult to estimate when it happens to you what effect such a virus will have.”
VVD MP Thierry Aartsen agrees with Werner and wonders to what extent the ministry can be blamed. “In Brabant we say, afterwards it is nice to live. If we had all known, we would have done it differently. We will undoubtedly learn from this. ”
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By: Thom Edinger
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