The number of people who report to their GP with flu-like symptoms is increasing further, according to figures from research institute Nivel. Last week, GPs saw 70 people with flu-like symptoms per 100,000 inhabitants. Het Nivel speaks of “a strong increase” compared to previous weeks.
There has been an official flu epidemic in the Netherlands for a week. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) generally speaks of such an epidemic when more than 58 out of 100,000 people go to the GP with complaints that are reminiscent of flu and 10 percent of the samples examined contain the flu virus. The Nivel reports that the flu virus is currently found in considerably more samples that GPs take from patients with complaints. Last week, 98 samples were taken, and the influenza virus (the flu) was found in more than a third.
Other viruses
General practitioners also found other viruses, such as human metapneumovirus, rhinovirus and RS virus. The corona virus was found slightly more often than in the previous Nivel report, last week. According to the institute, GPs mainly see elderly people with corona, but also relatively many elderly people with pneumonia.
By: ANP