Number of people with flu continues to rise, officially talk of flu epidemic

people with flu continues to rise

The number of Dutch people with flu has risen sharply for the second week in a row. This means that a flu epidemic has started, the RIVM, research institute Nivel and Erasmus MC report on Wednesday. They rely on information from laboratories, hospitals, general practitioners and GGDs.

In the Netherlands, there is a flu epidemic if two weeks in a row more than 58 out of 100,000 people with flu-like symptoms visit their gp and at least 10 percent have the influenza virus. These data are kept by Nivel and RIVM.

Last week, rivm reported already seen clear increase in the number of throat and nose samples with the influenza virus. “Last week, this number rose rapidly and an influenza virus was found in more than half of the samples,” the institute now says.

According to Nivel and rivm, the increase in the number of flu cases is probably related to the lifting of the corona measures in the Netherlands. “As a result, people have more contact with others and the risk of respiratory infections such as the flu can also increase.”

Number of people with flu continues to rise, officially talk of flu epidemic

Flu more difficult to follow due to corona epidemic

According to the RIVM and Nivel, it was difficult to determine whether there was a flu epidemic on the basis of figures from general practitioners. “The symptoms of flu are very similar to those of the coronavirus and many people with flu-like symptoms will go to a GGD test street or do a self-test.

As a result, fewer people with respiratory infections go to the doctor than in previous years.”

That is why RIVM has been investigating samples from the corona test streets of the GGD in Amsterdam and Utrecht for the presence of flu viruses since November.

On the basis of that data, an increase in the number of flu cases could be seen. Figures from laboratories and hospitals also indicated an increase.

The last flu epidemic occurred in the winter of 2019/2020 and lasted only three weeks. Shortly after, the corona pandemic broke out. Due to the corona measures, there was hardly any flu in the Netherlands in the past two years.

Flu and COVID-19 are both respiratory infections, but are caused by different viruses. The viruses spread via droplets that are released during, for example, coughing and sneezing.

The basic measures not only help to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but also that of the flu virus.

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