ANP
News from the NOS••Modified
The number of recently reported corona infections declined again in the past week. The RIVM registered 17,600 infections, about 22,700 cases had been registered the week before. Fewer people were tested at the GGD last week. But wastewater measurements confirm the decrease.
This is the second consecutive decline in the weekly data. According to the RIVM, it is still too early to tell if the autumn wave is already on the way back. This has to do with a newly emerged sub-variant of the virus.
The European health service ECDC reported last week that the sub-variant BQ.1 will soon become dominant in Europe. ECDC expects this variant to take over from the BA.5 variant between mid-November and early December, which we have seen most in the Netherlands since June.
BA.5 and BQ.1 are both variants of omikron. Since the beginning of this year, infections with such omikron variants have been observed almost exclusively.
The advance of BQ.1 is expected to lead to an increase in the number of infections, according to the ECDC. This is because BQ.1 appears to be able to evade the immune system slightly better. So far, no studies have shown that BQ.1 is more pathogenic than other variants.
Hospital admissions are slightly increasing
Last week, compared to the week before, a little more people were hospitalized than in the previous week: 603 versus 587 patients.
The National Coordination Center for Patient Outreach, which tracks the current number of occupied beds, reports that an average of 1,207 coronary patients were treated in hospital last week.
The number of new admissions to the ward is stabilizing. The LCPS does not expect a hike for those departments next week.
More corona patients have been treated in ICU than last week, but the number of hospitalizations is now declining. The expectation for the IC is stable, the LCPS says.
repeat the stroke
Since last week, the repeat shoot invitation has been sent to people between the ages of 40 and 60. And since yesterday even groups under 40 have received an invitation. This is done step by step. Anyone who gives a repeat injection will receive a vaccine that has been “updated” and thus better protects against the omikron BA.1 variant. Vaccines are also available that have been adapted to the BA.4 and BA.5 variants, but are only used later.
A spokesperson for the RIVM tells the ANP news agency that “there is no reason” to assume that the updated vaccines work less well against the new sub-variant, BQ.1.
