BA.5 variant detected in the Netherlands The BA.5 variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was detected for the first time in the Netherlands this week.
Quality assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antigen test diagnostics: good performance at public test sites in the Netherlands In their role as WHO reference laboratories, RIVM and Erasmus UMC conducted a study on the quality of SARS-CoV-2 antigen diagnostics in the Netherlands.
Social well-being is improving, compliance with coronavirus measures remains important With the recent easing of the coronavirus measures, social contact and well-being are improving again. Compliance with most measures remains stable for now (such as getting tested by the GGD and avoiding crowds) or is decreasing very gradually.
Downward trend remains steady In the past calendar week, there were 32% fewer hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 compared to the week before. New arrivals in the ICU were also down by 23% compared to the previous week.
RIVM launches study on Long COVID This week RIVM launched the Long COVID study. RIVM is asking people in the Netherlands who test positive for COVID-19 to sign up for the study via LongCOVID.rivm.nl within 7 days after their positive test result.
Downward trend continues In the past calendar week, from 12 to 18 May, there were 21% fewer hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 compared to the week before. New arrivals in the ICU were also down by 24% compared to the previous week.
Fewer hospital admissions, but pressure on healthcare is still high In the past calendar week, there were 22% fewer hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 compared to the week before. New arrivals in the ICU were also down by 22% compared to the previous week.
Increase in number of additives in tobacco products A total of 673 different types of additives are used by manufacturers in their tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco) and the number of additives used per tobacco product type incre
Metals in tobacco harmful to health Growing tobacco plants acquire metals from soil, fertilisers, and industrial pollution. Smoking liberates some of these metals from tobacco into smoke to be inhaled by the smoker and bystanders.
RIVM writes Novel Tobacco Products paper for WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Free Initiative (TFI) has just published a Report of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (TobReg).