Flu Epidemic Officially Declared in the Netherlands

The number of people in the Netherlands experiencing flu symptoms continues to rise rapidly. Notably, reports increased significantly over the past week.

As of today, the flu outbreak has been officially classified as an epidemic, according to research institute Nivel. An official flu epidemic is declared when, for two consecutive weeks, at least 53 out of 100,000 individuals report flu symptoms to their general practitioner.

Last week, 76 out of 100,000 people did so, compared to 58 in the previous week. This marks the official start of the annual flu epidemic.

Last year, a flu epidemic also began at the end of January and lasted until the end of March. The flu wave is causing issues in various parts of the country.

Last Friday, the Dutch Association of Emergency Physicians reported that some hospitals are scaling back elective care due to the high number of sick reports. Schools are also experiencing many flu cases, resulting in emptier classrooms and substitute teachers stepping in.

Source: NOS

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