The RIVM has released this weeks coronavirus figures and they are looking more hopeful than in previous weeks. 

The RIVM has announced that there were 3,588 new positive corona cases this week. These numbers show a slight decrease in the number of infections with 425 less cases than last week.

The figures also show an increase in the number of people who got tested with 38,000 more tests carried out this week. 2.5% of those who got tested last week received positive results.

This follows a similar drop in the previous weeks numbers which saw 4,013 new positive corona cases, 23 less than the week before.

Similarly to last week, most of the cases are found in South Holland, North Holland and Brabandt.

These figures can offer some hope following a recent spike in coronavirus cases across the Netherlands. The rise in numbers has been a cause of worry for many, with Mark Rutte and Health Minister Hugo De Jonge urging people to abide by social distancing laws.

Hospitalisation admissions and deaths rise

The number of hospitalisations has risen. This week saw 84 new admissions to hospital, 34 more than last week. However, less people have been admitted to the ICU with only 26 admissions.

This low number of ICU admissions is due to the fact that most of the recent corona cases are accounted for in young people. Given that younger members of the population are less likely to need hospitalisation, hospital staff have been able to cope.

The number of deaths has also risen with 32 people passing away from coronavirus. This is an increase of 16.

The number of elderly hospitalisations has luckily not increased. Experts believe this is due to the fact that the elderly and young are still keeping their distance.

Numbers remain hopeful

Experts believe the figures are promising, indicating that the current outbreak of the virus is manageable. Physician-microbiologist, Jan Kluytmans believes that we have the recent tightening of restrictions to thank for the drop in numbers “with that wake-up call and relatively simple measures, it appears to be possible to bring the number of infections back to a lower level”, reports the NOS.

According to the RIVM, the rate of reproduction has dropped slightly from last weeks 1.19. Experts are unsure of which exact aspect of the recent restrictions is responsible for the drop in cases. Kluytmans believes this is because multiple measures were imposed at the same time.

Restrictions still remain

However, while the drop in figures is hopeful, people are still asked to follow coronavirus safety measures. The virus is still very much a danger and continues to disrupt everyday life in the Netherlands. For example, yesterday brought some bad news for holiday hopefuls as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Spain and parts of France were now considered to be a code orange risk.

Indeed, even as numbers reduce again, the nature of the virus is not fully known. The Netherlands has had its first known case of a reinfection. This could mean that those who have previously had the virus are not immune to becoming infected again.

Are you feeling hopeful? Follow DutchReview for the latest news and coronavirus updates.

Donald Trump’s anti-coronavirus drug of choice, hydroxychloroquine, does not work, to absolutely no-one’s surprise. Dutch research has backed up a British study showing the ineffectiveness of the drug.

Hydroxychloroquine, also favoured by President Bolsonaro of Brazil, was trialled in Dutch hospitals treating coronavirus patients. The drug was already removed from treatment protocols in the Netherlands in May because of its negative effect on heart health. Now, the Dutch study, led by Jonne Sikkens, shows that the effect of the drug on coronavirus patients was pretty negligible.

A previous, smaller study based in Amsterdam appeared to show that hydroxychloroquine had a negative impact on coronavirus patient mortality. However, it is possible that this was simply because the patients to whom the drug was administered were sicker. This new study shows no statistically significant improvement in recovery with the use of the drug. A much larger sample size, covering nine hospitals, means that the results of the research are more trustworthy.

The results of this study are unsurprising, says Mark de Boer, internist and chairman of the Antibiotic Policy Working Group (SWAB), because an earlier large study in the UK also saw no positive effects of the drug. “It is reassuring that we now see the same picture in the Netherlands.”

Will we see a u-turn on the use of this drug in the US and Brazil? Let us know your predictions in the comments below.

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The unemployment crisis kick-started by the coronavirus pandemic this year is expected to affect graduate students in the Netherlands for at least another five years, according to studies.

With the economy under strain, finding a job will be harder for graduates, and average salaries will be 6-12% lower than if the coronavirus had not arrived, reports NOS.

Will a vaccine bring economic relief?

The Central Planning Bureau released two studies, one on the labour market and one on the Dutch economy as a whole. Even if a vaccine were to be distributed in the short-term, the studies predict permanent economic damage.

Production will probably remain relatively low due to a lack of investments and innovations. Unemployment is expected to rise in the coming years, but may return to 2019 levels again in about five years. For those with less experience like recent graduates, breaking into the job market will be difficult during these times.

Researchers predict a vaccine will be available within a year, but if this is not the case, the economic damage will only be more extreme.

International students and the ‘orientation year’

For non-EU students in the Netherlands, pursuing the ‘orientation year’ visa, which allows you to look for a job in the country for a year after graduating, will remain a possibility. But with the current economic climate, this will be harder than ever before.

The DD6 coalition party has asked for the orientation term to be extended or at least frozen due to the current circumstances, reports DUB. But Employment Minister Wouter Koolmees is having none of it. He argues that it would take too long to amend regulations for current visa holders and applicants, and it is not likely that the job market for highly-skilled migrants will improve again soon.

Have you recently graduated and are struggling to find a job? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to follow DutchReview on Facebook to keep up to date with the latest news.

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A patient in the Netherlands has been reinfected with coronavirus. Reinfections have also been confirmed in Belgium and Hong Kong.

The person who has been infected with coronavirus twice in the Netherlands is an elderly patient with a deteriorated immune system, NOS reports. Virologists have expected for a while that some coronavirus patients would be able to get the virus a second time.

If a person gets a mild form of the virus, that means they will have fewer antibodies. Furthermore, those antibodies decrease over time. There are large differences in the amount of antibodies coronavirus patients have after the infection passes – that much has been clear from blood tests. The reinfected patient in Belgium only had mild complaints the first time they were infected with coronavirus, so is expected to have only produced a small amount of antibodies.

Secondly, says Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans, adviser to the World Health Organization and the Dutch cabinet, “SARS-CoV-2 infections all have a different fingerprint, a genetic code.” In order to confirm a reinfection, researchers have to show that the second infection has a different RNA code from the first infection. That has been done in these three confirmed reinfections.

The reinfection itself is not a huge cause for concern, says Koopmans. “I don’t get nervous that someone slips in between with a reinfection.” The question the confirmed reinfection raises, though, is how long people have immune protection from coronavirus after being infected once. The focus now will be on seeing if reinfections occur more regularly.

You can follow DutchReview on Facebook for more updates on coronavirus in the Netherlands. 

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After many delays including coronavirus, the Eurostar train DIRECTLY from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to London is set to roll out from October 26 this year.

We’ve been waiting for a direct train from Amsterdam to London for quite a while now, and it’s finally happening! Prices for a one-way ticket will start at €46, with a travel time of just over four hours from Amsterdam, says NS. From Rotterdam you can get to London in only three and a half hours.

The tickets will soon be available for purchase on NS International and the Eurostar website from September 1, 2020. You can book up to six months in advance, and if you book early there are possible discounts, which is great considering that prices are currently a lot higher on their website.

Coronavirus measures

With international travel permitted between these countries, NS is looking forward to an increase in passenger numbers. With the uncertainty of coronavirus, the train company will allow tickets to be changed free of charge up to 14 days prior to the trip. This flexibility will be available until December 31, 2020 for all tickets purchased during this period. Of course, usual measures like wearing a mask will also apply.

The perks

The Netherlands, France, Belgium and the UK have signed an agreement that streamlines passport control. Passengers will only be required to show ID at the start of the journey, eliminating the need for passengers to get off in Brussels and saving an hour of travel time.

“A Eurostar train has roughly twice as many seats as an average plane and CO2 emissions per passenger are considerably lower,” said State Secretary Stientje van Veldhoven. “This makes the train to London a truly sustainable and full-fledged alternative to flying.”

Looking forward to taking the direct train to London? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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