More unhealthy behaviour among young people; their health remains vulnerable Fewer young people aged 12 to 16 are positive about their health than in previous years. In addition, their mental health has not recovered after the COVID-19 pandemic.
RIVM recommends a standardised design for e-cigarettes to reduce e-cigarette appeal Features like a sleek design, technical add-ons such as Bluetooth, and ease of concealment are examples that make e-cigarettes attractive to young people, according to research by RIVM. That is why RIVM recommends policymakers to consider implementing a standardised design for e-cigarettes
RIVM European Reference Lab for vector-borne infections The European Commission (EC) has designated RIVM as the current European Reference Lab (EURL) for vector-borne viral pathogens.
More than 3% of adults and 5% of young people have persistent symptoms after COVID-19 More than 3% of adults (aged 26+) reported having persistent long-term symptoms after an infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, sometimes lasting several years. This is also known as post-COVID or Long COVID. About 5% of young people aged 12–25 years are experiencing these symptoms.
Nitrogen and nature approach shows progress towards 2030, but targets are out of reach The nitrogen and nature measures that the government has implemented since 2021 are expected to make a positive contribution to the future quality of nature. The average exceedance of the critical loads for nitrogen deposition will decrease by a third up to 2030.
COVID-19 pandemic made me miss out on a key stage of my life, young people claim Young people aged 12–25 feel that the COVID-19 pandemic made them miss out on a key stage of their lives. They have indicated that important milestones, such as graduation ceremonies or the start of student life, passed them by. This is evident from the latest quarterly study conducted by the Network for Health Research in Disasters.
Predicting who will experience symptoms after Lyme disease remains challenging Each year, approximately 27,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease. For most, the symptoms disappear after treatment with antibiotics. Unfortunately, 25% of those treated have chronic symptoms, such as fatigue, concentration disorders or pain.
New Zoonoses Report out now: avian flu most notable outbreak in 2022 Throughout 2022, the Netherlands faced a persistent avian flu outbreak, affecting 76 poultry farms. The virus also infected numerous wild birds and various wild mammals. These findings are presented in the Zoonoses Report, an annual publication issued jointly by RIVM and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Natura 2000 sites: nitrogen deposition on the decline, but still too high for much of nature The amount of nitrogen deposited on nature reserves that are vulnerable to this is falling. However, this decline is not sufficient to meet the targets the Dutch government has set itself. This is the conclusion of the RIVM monitoring report ‘Nitrogen deposition in Natura 2000 areas 2023’.
Respiratory infections now in season More and more people are coughing and sneezing, although it is not an epidemic at this point. The season in which respiratory infections circulate in the Netherlands has now started. There are various viruses that can cause respiratory infections.