RIVM experts: ‘Holiday risk in France no greater than in the Netherlands’

The first school holidays will start in just over a month. But it is still too early to say whether the Dutch can go on holiday abroad, said Prime Minister Rutte this week. More clarity is needed next week.

At RIVM, in addition to some practical objections, they do not see any major risks when it comes to traveling to countries where, like the Netherlands, they have few infections. It is mainly about the behavior of Dutch people on vacation. “You have to adapt to the rules that apply there, and you have to adhere to the Dutch rules,” say head of infectious disease control Jaap van Dissel and Jacco Wallinga, responsible for the calculation models.

The NOS spoke to them about differences between holiday countries. And about the possibility of being infected by small droplets that float for a long time; the so-called aerosols that were a lot about this week.

In France, the border reopens to tourists. Is there anything against traveling to countries with fewer or as many infections as the Netherlands?

Wallinga: “If you just look at the chance of infection, it will make little difference in the Netherlands or in France. The general rule is: it is good to avoid crowds and keep a distance. That is the point with holidays: you sit together in a car, bus or plane for a long time. “

What is the theoretical risk? Is it risky to travel abroad?

Wallinga: “I don’t think so. There is a practical problem: if you do get an infection after all, and you’re in France, the contact must be done there. And maybe those contacts will be in the Netherlands again.”

Is it important that the same measures apply in the countries that travel to as the Netherlands?

Van Dissel: “A really different policy is followed in Sweden. Perhaps there is more uncertainty whether the infection is under the same degree of control than in the Netherlands, France and Germany. I think it is mainly about practical points. Besides transport, accommodation also : are you in a house or at the campsite? What you do: are you mainly indoors or outdoors? But the essence remains that you follow the same rules as in the Netherlands, plus any amendments, if Spain or Germany indicate that you supermarket also has to wear a mask, and a Dutchman says: “I am from Holland, but that is not the case for me.” He may have a problem with that. “

So France makes more sense to go than Sweden?

Van Dissel: “I think that reasoning is very understandable. After all, you were talking about countries with a similar epidemiological situation. There is currently no such thing in Sweden. It is less under control there, from what we see now.”

This week again was a lot about the so-called aerosols: mists with small droplets that float in the air for a long time. At RIVM they assume that it is mainly the large drops that cause infections. Other virologists consider it plausible that the mists can also play a role and that other measures are needed.

What do we know about possible aerosol contamination?

Van Dissel: “The discussion about aerosols is partly semantic. When someone speaks, screams, coughs, sneezes, you get clouds of air with droplets in them. And those droplets have different sizes. If you have a droplet of 10, 1 or 0 1 micrometre, they differ in volume by a factor of 1000. So you can imagine that large drops contain on average much more virus than small drops. “

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