A respiratory infection is an inflammation of the mucous membranes in your respiratory system (nose, mouth and airways) caused by a virus or bacteria. The air you breathe can contain all sorts of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria – such as Legionella or pneumococci bacteria. Common viruses that cause respiratory infections include the influenza virus (flu), the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV infections).

The COVID-19 crisis affects our whole country and has an impact on everyone’s life – directly and/or indirectly. The consequences of the virus and the measures are a potential threat to health and perceived happiness – in the short term and the longer term. That is why RIVM is researching this topic.

Over the course of the past 4 years, the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has spread all over the world. Although most people have built up immunity by now, people still regularly experience symptoms from new or previous infections. The expectation is that COVID-19 will not disappear, but will have an annual surge in autumn/winter. The question is why this is happening when so many Dutch people have been vaccinated or have previously had COVID-19.

There are many different types of viruses, including a family known as the ‘coronaviruses’. Examples of the coronaviruses are Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV1) and SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses mostly affect the respiratory system.

SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19. The symptoms often resemble the common cold at first. Some people do not become ill at all, or are only mildly ill from the virus. Others may become seriously ill and sometimes even die from the disease. Sometimes people get post-Covid and have persistent long-term symptoms. Vaccination protects against severe illness, and may prevent any symptoms from developing.

The ‘Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus’ (MERS-CoV) is a fairly new type of coronavirus that was discovered in September 2012 which may cause severe symptoms, in particular among people who suffer from underlying conditions. The virus owes its name to the region where it presented itself for the first time and where most cases have been found: the Middle East.