Research into safe distance for battery energy storage systems One new development in the energy sector is the temporary storage of renewable energy. For example, energy can be stored in a community battery.
Number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands increased in 2023 compared to 2022 In 2023, 710 people in the Netherlands were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). This was 12 per cent more than in 2022, when there were 634. In 2023, 471 patients had pulmonary TB. Of these 417 patients, 213 had open TB – the most contagious type.
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.
Flu vaccine campaign about to start In October, many people will receive a new invitation to get the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine protects people who, because of their age or medical condition, are more likely to become ill or seriously ill from flu.
Flu epidemic officially over The flu epidemic that started halfway through December 2022 is now over. This is the conclusion drawn by experts of RIVM, Erasmus MC and the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel) on the basis of information supplied by GPs, hospitals and laboratories.
Safe recycling of textiles possible, but still in its infancy Textiles are produced using chemicals. Although many hazardous chemicals may no longer be used in textile production, they may still be present in donations of old clothing. RIVM has conducted a study into the safety of recycled textiles.
Number of tuberculosis patients in the Netherlands decreased slightly in 2022 compared to 2021 The number of people with tuberculosis (TB) in the Netherlands decreased slightly in 2022. In 2022, there were 635 TB patients in the Netherlands. This is six per cent fewer than in 2021, when there were 673 patients.
ICER 2023: Circular targets remain out of reach The Netherlands aims to have a fully circular economy by 2050 and halve its use of raw materials by 2030. In recent years, however, little progress has been made in either regard.
Circular economy: plastics recycling from end-of-life vehicles could be four times higher At present, 85% of plastics from end-of-life vehicles is still incinerated. Only 15% of plastics is reused as a raw material. A survey conducted by RIVM has revealed possibilities to expand recovery of these plastics fourfold by 2030.
Netherlands experiencing multiple respiratory viruses; now also flu epidemic The Netherlands is experiencing a flu epidemic. The number of people with flu (influenza) increased significantly in the past two weeks. Laboratories, hospitals and GPs throughout the country report that the flu virus has been turning up in more throat and nasal samples from people with flu-like symptoms.