Test yourself, we’ll check the poop: Dutch adopt a new approach to coronavirus

Rolled out of bed this morning feeling a bit… off? Decided to take a test and BAM, two lines? Well, we have news for you. As of today, you do not need to get the GGD involved.

Instead, the Dutch government is trusting you to do the right thing: isolate yourself for five days, and once your symptoms are gone, simply let yourself out.

But how will they keep track of coronavirus in the Netherlands? Well, one answer is poep.

Less testing of people, more testing of sewage

Yep, you read that right. 💩

While it will still be possible to get tested by the GGD in certain cases — for example, if you need proof of recovery from coronavirus or if you are a healthcare worker — most people will be testing themselves from now on, reports RTL Nieuws.

Instead of testing the population of the Netherlands, the Dutch government has decided to test, well, the poop of the Netherlands.

By monitoring sewage water, as well as the number of hospitalisations in the country, the hope is that the government will be able to stay on top of the coronavirus situation. 💪

A decline in testing and no more numbers

For the past two years now, the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) has been tracking and releasing the daily and weekly numbers of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands.

However, as of Saturday, the RIVM has decided to not report these numbers on the weekends or during public holidays — a hopeful step.

And also a practical step. The number of GGD tests being carried out in the Netherlands at the moment is decreasing rapidly. As of last week, the number of tests dropped by a third compared to the week before. 👀

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Feature Image:Depositphotos
Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Sarah originally arrived in the Netherlands due to an inability to make her own decisions — she was simply told by her mother to choose the Netherlands for Erasmus. Life here has been challenging (have you heard the language) but brilliant for Sarah, and she loves to write about it. When Sarah is not acting as a safety threat to herself and others (cycling), you can find her sitting in a corner of Leiden with a coffee, trying to sound witty.

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