© ANP
While a striking number of children are sick in our country, a flu epidemic has been officially declared in the Netherlands by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).
In the Netherlands, they speak of a flu epidemic when more than 58 out of 100,000 people with flu-like symptoms visit their GP two weeks in a row and at least 10 percent of these people have the flu virus.
According to the RIVM, this number has not yet been reached, because the symptoms of flu are very similar to those of corona. People are more likely to do a Covid self-test instead of going to the doctor. Nevertheless, the increase in the number of patients with flu-like symptoms has risen to such an extent that RIVM, the Nivel research institute and Erasmus MC are now officially speaking of a flu epidemic.
In addition to the flu virus, other viruses that cause respiratory complaints are also circulating in the Netherlands, including the corona virus.
During the corona crisis, the flu virus circulated less. There was an epidemic last winter, but it only started in March.
With us, a striking number of children are particularly ill: flu, colds, respiratory viruses and RSV infections. Many young children are in hospital.