Since the outbreak of coronavirus, major pharmaceutical companies, governments and universities have begun the search for a vaccine, including here in the Netherlands. 

The President of the EU commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that a coronavirus vaccine would likely be developed by the end of the year which made headlines in several Dutch news sources including NOS. This might be a little optimistic, de Volkskrant discusses. 

But nonetheless, many pharmaceutical companies are currently investigating the possibilities. In general, vaccines need to be extensively tested to ensure that they do not do harm rather than good, this is why the process takes so long.

The WHO reports that approximately 70 companies around the world are developing vaccines. These companies are based in 19 different countries. Around three-quarters of the vaccine developers are commercial companies. The remaining quarter comprises of universities and governments, according to de Volkskrant. Companies in China and the US have already begun human trials.

Here in the Netherlands, several organisations are doing their part:

Leiden biotech company Janssen

Janssen, a pharmaceutical company based in Leiden is currently on the frontier of the Dutch initiative to develop a vaccine. The company is a subsidiary of the bigger Johnson & Johnson, which is also currently in the process of developing an Ebola vaccine. With experience in combatting viral infections and other serious diseases, the company is well equipped in their research and has received significant funding from other countries. Johnson&Johnson’s reputation makes them a viable candidate for the development of an effective vaccine.

Over 100 people in the Leiden subsidiary are working on a coronavirus vaccine and they aim to be able to test it in September of this year.

Leiden University Medical Centre

Research teams lead by Marjolein Kikkert and Eric Snijder (who began the LUMC crowdfunding campaign for research into coronavirus) are also working closely with Janssen to test immune responses to vaccine candidates.

Currently, the teams are working to see whether vaccine-induced antibodies are able to overcome or fight the virus. But the teams are also researching antiviral medication. Funding is granted to them by the EU.

Erasmus MC Rotterdam

Virologist Bart Haagman from the Medical Centre in Rotterdam has a research group consisting of 10 people who aim to develop a vaccine for coronavirus in a year, or a year and a half.

Haagman’s research team is testing to see whether other vaccines can be used to combat coronavirus such as the smallpox vaccine.

With their vaccine, the team would like to fasten the body’s immune response, meaning that the immune system would react faster. As of now, Haagman tells AD.nl that the body’s system takes longer to respond to coronavirus. Therefore, a vaccine to speed up this process would aid significantly in helping the body ward it off.

UMC Utrecht and Radbaud University Medical Centre

Researchers Mihai Netea and Marc Bonten from UMC Utrecht and Radbaud University Medical Centre are currently studying whether an old research tuberculosis (TB) vaccine could be used against coronavirus.

The BCG vaccine has been around for nearly a century. Thus it will likely not result in serious side effects. In the Netherlands, TB is virtually nonexistent- but around the world it is administered to millions of people.

Who will develop the first vaccine?

As of now, it’s still unclear who will be the first to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Companies in China and the US have already begun human trials — but of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean their vaccines will be up and running by the end of the year.

But the question isn’t even about the first vaccine — it’s possible that there are several vaccines on the market that can be used for multiple viruses. So if more than one vaccine to combat coronavirus is developed, it’s a good thing.

The Netherlands still has a pretty good chance of being the first. And even if not, any advancements are beneficial to combatting the spread of COVID-19 as well as other viral infections.

But in the end regardless of who is first, what is most important is that advancements are made in the first place, since the entire global community is in this together.

Have you been following developments of a vaccine from the Netherlands or in other countries? Let us know in the comments below. 

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The most recent RIVM statistics regarding coronavirus reveal that there are 1,235 new cases in the Netherlands. The total number of cases is now 30,449.

Additionally, there have been 156 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number to 9,465.

Update 17 April (thread)

1235 new confirmed cases (total: 30.449)
144 new fatalities (total: 3.459)
156 new hospitalisations (total: 9.465)

Map shows cases and hospitalisations per Dutch municipality.#coronakaart #coronavirusNL #COVID19NL pic.twitter.com/NAh0b8NqBJ

— TAG (@itsTAGofficial) April 17, 2020

The total number of deaths is 144, and the total mortality count is 3,459.

The RIVM suggests that the measures in place seem to be working, since the number of hospitalised patients seem to be declining. Furthermore, the number of deaths is also decreasing (fortunately), but at a lower rate.

More on mortality

Overall in terms of mortality in the Netherlands, the total mortality count in general has increased during weeks 14 and 15 of this year. There are 2,000-2,300 more deaths per week than would normally be expected around this time of year, according to the RIVM.

This can likely be attributed to the coronavirus outbreak, but more information can only be known once the registered deaths are fully processed and studied.

Education Council: new school year should begin earlier if school closures continue

The Education Council has proposed that if schools are still closed after the May holidays, the new school year may start earlier in the fall in order to make up for any gaps and bring students up to date.

Next Tuesday, the cabinet will announce whether or not schools will remain closed after the May break. If schools are closed, the Education Council advocates for schools to open earlier in the next school year. According to Edith Hooge, the chairman of the Council, “if the learning interruption lasts longer than six weeks, problems will grow.”

What has coronavirus done to Amsterdam’s housing market?

The rental market in Amsterdam has experienced something no one would have thought possible a few months ago: more supply than demand.

As a result of the coronavirus crisis, apartments usually rented out to holidayers have been lying vacant. In the months before the social distancing came into effect, rental prices increased slightly in Amsterdam, making the already expensive city just a little more out of the average person’s reach. Now, there are more and more houses being offered for rent to the general public, because no tourists are visiting the Dutch capital right now. Additionally, many expats have now returned home.

3% of Dutchies have antibodies against coronavirus, early study shows

Only 3% of Dutch people have coronavirus antibodies, according to a study by blood donation organisation Sanquin. This is in line with the case in other countries, too. Not good news for herd immunity: but, according to Marion Koopmans, head of the Erasmus MC virology department, we would expect to see more people having antibodies further on in the epidemic, as they usually continue to appear up four weeks after infection.

Events could be canceled until September, but other restrictions may ease

The cabinet will be meeting at the start of next week to decide what to do about the current deadline of the coronavirus measures on April 27.

There is a proposal circulating among top officials stating that events could be cancelled until the first of September. Despite a possible ban on events until the first of September, the government is also looking into the possibility of relaxing other measures. This includes primary schools, after-school care, as well as the option of potentially opening up sports organisations for the youth.

Amsterdam pride celebrations cancelled due to coronavirus

Amsterdam Gay Pride foundation (AGP) has decided to postpone this year’s pride celebrations, which were scheduled to take place between 25 July and 2 August this year. This decision comes as a result of social distancing measures, but also because of rumours that public gatherings will be banned until 1 September this year. Furthermore, many companies that would usually pay to have a boat in the Canal Parade or to organise a party cannot do so this year.

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Amsterdam Gay Pride foundation (AGP) has decided to postpone this year’s pride celebrations, which were scheduled to take place between 25 July and 2 August this year.

This news is hardly unexpected, as Prime Minister Rutte has warned that we need to get used to the 1.5 metre society. In a press conference on Wednesday, he noted that even if the coronavirus numbers continue to look ok, only certain rules will be relaxed after 28 April. More details on that will be released next Tuesday.

Pride parade would be impossible under 1.5 metre society

Anyone who has been to a pride parade knows that it would be impossible to celebrate in a a 1.5 metre society. But there are also rumours that regardless of practicalities, public gatherings will be banned until 1 September.

Finances were also a factor in AGP’s decision

There are also financial considerations involved in AGP’s decision, as many companies that would usually pay to have a boat in the Canal Parade or to organise a party cannot do so at the moment.

Municipality is providing support

The Canal Parade has been rescheduled to 7th August 2021, and the Amsterdam Pride has been moved to next year. The municipality of Amsterdam has agreed to extend AGP’s licence for a year, and has allowed organisers to keep 80% of the grant they received, so that they can pay their workers and have enough capital to organise next year’s parade.

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Last night, a large fire erupted in a pigsty in Lierop, North Brabant. The blaze ended the lives of around 1000 pigs inside. 

The fire brigade reported that none of the pigs housed there had survived, it is estimated that around 1,000 pigs were kept in the 2000 square meter barn, NU.nl reports.

The fire brigade was notified around midnight, and by the time they reached the scene, the barn was nearly completely inflamed. As far as the brigade could tell, the pigs did not suffer.

There were around 6,000 pigs kept in the perimeter in total, across several barns. Thus, the brigade worked to preserve the fire and keep it from spreading.

From small to large

The fire spread rapidly. Consequently, six vehicles were used for water to extinguish the flames, which involved 20 vehicles in total. Around 4pm, the fire was put out, preventing it from spreading to other parts of the barn.

Investigations are still being conducted as to what started the fire in the first place.

More common than you might think

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first big barn fire. Last year 176,000 farm animals were killed in fires alone. Even more were found dead due to overheating when a broiler failed on a hot day.

What measures can be taken to prevent barn fires (which have become increasingly common) in the Netherlands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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The cabinet will be meeting at the start of next week to decide what to do about the current deadline of the coronavirus measures on April 27. 

There is a proposal circulating among top officials stating that events could be cancelled until the first of September, reports RTL Nieuws.

Relaxation of other measures

Despite a possible ban on events until the first of September, the government is also looking into the possibility of relaxing other measures. This includes primary schools, after-school care, as well as the option of potentially opening up sports organizations for the youth.

Mayors send letters about the social consequences of the crisis

The mayors of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Breda, Rotterdam and Nijmegen have written letters to Prime-Minister Rutte urging him to consider not only the medical consequences of the crisis, but the social ones as well.

Their concern is over rising inequality and tension occurring throughout their cities because of the crisis. Domestic violence is one of the issues brought up on the agenda, which has been on the rise due to many people working from home.

The mayors also expressed that the youth should have more space to exercise, as the limited movement leaves them no choice but to break measures.

Loneliness caused by isolation has been another point addressed by the mayors in their letter. The document has signatures from VVD, PvdA, CDA and Groenlinks.

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Sanquin, a Dutch blood bank, has done research on 4000 people’s blood, which was donated from 1 April onwards. The study has shown that 3% of people have antibodies against coronavirus. 

That means several things for coronavirus in the Netherlands. First of all, obviously, herd immunity is a long way off. In order for a population to have herd immunity, 50-60% of the it needs to have had the virus (and most of them should then have antibodies against it).

This is an early study

“Unfortunately, three percent is not very much,” says Marion Koopmans, head of the Erasmus MC virology department in an interview with NOS. “However, it fits well with what we can expect based on sounds in other countries. Mind you, this is an early poll. It takes about four weeks before all antibodies are produced.” So basically, we can expect many more people to have antibodies after the worst of the epidemic is over: which makes sense.

Herd immunity is not the aim of the Dutch policy

However, in an interview with NOS, Jaap van Dissel, head of infectious disease control at RIVM, emphasised that herd immunity was not the aim of the Dutch coronavirus policy: merely an eventual side effect of the virus being present in the country.

Mortality rate is 1-2%

The second implication of this research is a confirmation of the mortality rate. Generally, the virus kills 1-2% of the people it infects- that has been the case in other countries, anyway. In the Netherlands, that is likely also the case, van Dissel says, based on a rough calculation from this antibody research.

Antibodies do not necessarily mean you are protected

Van Dissel also noted that just because a person had antibodies, they would not necessarily be immune to the virus. People can have varying levels of antibodies, and they can have varying levels of success in fighting disease, he says. The health of your immune system also plays a role as well.

More studies to come

More studies on coronavirus antibodies are underway in the Netherlands: Sanquin’s was one of at least four. According to Hans Zaaier, professor and medical microbiologist at Sanquin, their study was scientifically rigorous: blood donors are generally representative of the population in terms of their likelihood of catching respiratory diseases, and need to go outside as often as a regular person would. He did note, however, that not all regions of the Netherlands were equally represented in the study.

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The RIVM’s latest coronavirus figures reveal that there are 1,061 new coronavirus cases in the Netherlands. This brings the total to 29,214.

In the meantime, there are 182 new hospitalisations. The total is now 9,309. Finally, there are 181 more reported deaths, bringing the total count to 3,315 deaths in the Netherlands.

Coronavirus press conference yesterday

Yesterday at 7pm, Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport Hugo de Jonge held a press conference to discuss the current state of affairs regarding the coronavirus crisis in the Netherlands. This comes after the cabinet met this evening.

There were no big revelations of new rules: instead, the press conference is part of the government’s strategy to take the public along with them in the decision-making process. In his speech, Rutte emphasised that although things weren’t going to go back to normal, the more we respect the measures, the sooner we can all relax

De Jonge also that it was both unnecessary to do so, and would potentially have a negative effect on the healthcare system, where face masks are still in short supply.

Number of ICU beds needed will decrease to normal levels by 1 May, OMT expects

According to the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), intensive care units will go back down to their regular capacity by 1 May. That means, in practice, that there will be 1200 total beds, of which 700 will be occupied by coronavirus patients.

The government has said that in order for normal life to begin to resume once again, three criteria need to be met. There needs to be less pressure on the healthcare system, there needs to be sufficient testing capacity, and there needs to be a way to track infections.

Government pledges 300 million euros to support cultural sector

The cultural sector has been severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak, as museums, musical venues and theatres have had to close. There are concerns in the cultural sector that there will be a loss of turnover of up to one billion euros by the first of June.

Thankfully, the Government has made a support package worth 300 million euros. The package is intended to support cultural institutions for the next couple of months, but they can also use the money to prepare for next season. The package is not intended for all the cultural institutions in the Netherlands: just for those which are of vital interest.

Dutch cabinet reacts to Trump suspending WHO funding

Yesterday it was announced that American president, Donald Trump had decided to suspend funding from the World Health Organisation. In response, the Netherlands expressed its support towards the association. 

The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag took to Twitter in order to stress Dutch support for WHO. The Minister stated:

“The Netherlands supports the WHO. It is important that the WHO can continue to do its job well in this global corona crisis. Now is not the time to turn off the money tap. Now all our energy is needed to overcome this crisis. International cooperation is vital.”

5,300 coronavirus infections reported in nursing homes

The elderly are among the most vulnerable of groups when it comes to the risk brought about by the coronavirus.

Only half of the sick elderly have been tested for coronavirus, while the rest display symptoms which closely resemble the virus. This is in line with the RIVM policy of only testing and registering serious cases.

The nursing homes report the deaths of patients suspected of coronavirus to the Bureau of Statistics of the Netherlands. According to one of their reports, 2,000 people died in just one week (30 March-6 April).

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The Education Council has proposed that if schools are still closed after the May holidays, the new school year may start earlier in the fall in order to make up for any gaps and bring students up to date. 

The advice was conveyed to the Dutch Minister for Primary and Secondary Education and Media, Arie Slob, who had asked for advice. The minister was concerned with how primary, secondary and MBO (vocational education) should be brought to date, according to NOS.

The Education Council notes that schools should already prepare in advance in case they continue to remain closed after the May holidays (usually taking place between the end of April and beginning of May) and should also be guided by the government.

More to be announced next Tuesday

Next Tuesday, the cabinet will announce whether or not schools will remain closed after the May break. If schools are closed, the Education Council advocates for schools to open earlier in the next school year. According to Edith Hooge, the chairman of the Council, “if the learning interruption lasts longer than six weeks, problems will grow.”

Students with difficult home lives will suffer

The Council is also concerned about students coming from vulnerable backgrounds, such as situations in which home is not necessarily a safe place, or where there is inadequate supervision of students and computer use. These students are at a greater educational risk, and the council believes that they should be granted with additional support during these times.

Additionally, the Council has suggested that perhaps summer school might be an option for students that cannot study at home, with a focus not just on education but also on social and emotional development.

Starting up again

The Education Council advises that not all schools should be opened up at once, but gradually in order for the government to help teachers get the support they need in order determine the levels that students are in, what support they should be given as well as how to proceed.

The Dutch government will try to integrate the advice of the Education Council into its policy. Slob emphasises that emergency care is given to children from difficult circumstances, and that the cabinet will do its utmost best to ensure that schools don’t fall behind in their curricula.

Do you think it’s a good idea to start schools early in the coming school year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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