The number of people who report to their GP with flu-like symptoms is increasing.
Last week, GPs saw 70 people with flu-like symptoms per 100,000 inhabitants. Research institute Nivel speaks of “a strong increase” compared to previous weeks.
There has been an official flu epidemic in the Netherlands for a week now. According to the RIVM, this is the case when more than 58 out of 100,000 people go to the doctor with complaints that are reminiscent of the flu. Furthermore, 10 percent of the samples examined must contain the flu virus to speak of an epidemic.
The Nivel reports that the flu virus is now found in considerably more samples that GPs have taken from patients with complaints. Last week, 98 samples were taken, in more than a third of which the flu virus was found.
General practitioners also found other viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, rhinovirus and RS virus. The corona virus was found slightly more often than last week. According to the institute, GPs mainly see elderly people with corona, but also relatively many elderly people with pneumonia.