Do you sniffle and cough on the sofa? Then you are not alone. Flu season has begun, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). But it is not yet a pandemic.
About 30 out of 100,000 people visit their primary care physician with flu-like symptoms, according to the most recent data from the RIVM, where the A.D writes about. Samples taken from the Nivel research institute’s sentinel stations, which are located at various general practitioners, show that the number of people with the flu (influenza) virus has increased. Last week, 14% of patients with respiratory infections tested positive for the virus.
Crown time
There is an epidemic when at least 58 out of 100,000 people with the flu go to the doctor and 10% of the patients test positive for the flu virus. At the moment it is a “normal course” of the flu as was seen even before the corona, says the RIVM.
The figures are expected to rise at least slightly, as there were fewer flu symptoms during the corona period.
In addition to the flu, other viruses were also detected in the samples last week. Mainly human metapneumovirus, rs virus and rhinovirus. Corona has also occurred, but the number of patients has remained stable over the past four weeks.
Germany
In our eastern neighbours, the number of people currently suffering from an infection or disease is at an all-time high. The president Christian Karagiannidis of the German Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine told the Rheinische Post on Saturday. According to Karagiannidis, almost all IC beds are occupied in many regions.
Coronavirus infections are no longer the biggest problem, he points out. It affects a very wide range of diseases: flu, RS virus, coronavirus and other respiratory diseases. Added to this are the usual emergencies. The CI doctor hopes the Christmas holidays will provide relief, as the number of hospitalizations often decreases.
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From: Editorial
