There has been an increase in the number of complaints from patients with a serious psychiatric problem during the coronavirus crisis in the Netherlands.

A study by Trimbos and MIND on 600 people with a serious psychiatric problem (such as bipolar disorder, depression, or a personality disorder) has shown that over the past two months of the coronacrisis, most patients have had more complaints than usual.

Why are patients finding this time more difficult than usual?

This is due to several factors. First of all, many patients have not been able to access face to face help from a care provider for several months. This should have improved since mid-April, when the previous directive was relaxed. However, it seems that getting face-to-face appointments is still an issue for people with psychiatric problems.

Consultation with patients about contact seems to help

Accordingly, it’s no surprise that 38% feel that there is not enough help available for them. But the good news is that there appears to be a way to make the situation better: the study also showed that if care providers consulted with patients about what kind of contact they wanted, the patients tended to mostly be satisfied.

Some have had a positive experience during this time

40% of patients are experiencing more psychological complaints than usual, but for some people, the coronavirus crisis has actually been good for their mental health. This is largely down to the removal of some stress factors, such as more rest, less social pressure, and less stress to get work done. However, for others, particularly those with worries about the future and the Netherlands, the crisis has had a negative impact.

How have you been coping with the crisis? Let us know in the comments below.

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The coronavirus crisis has had a huge impact on the tourism sector in Europe, and across the world. The question the European Commission is dealing with now is whether to support the tourism industry, or the rights of consumers.

It has come strongly down on the side of consumers, ruling that people who have booked a holiday before the crisis started should be allowed to get a full refund, and not just a voucher, RTL Nieuws reports. This goes against what many European countries want to happen.

Tourism sector will struggle without support

For obvious reasons, giving customers a voucher for a future trip is much better for tourism industries financially. However, legally, customers must be given a choice between a voucher and a full refund. Many EU countries want to curtail travellers’ rights in this time, in order to support the tourism sectors, but the European Commission has come out firmly against this idea.

Dutch plea to relax consumer regulations denied

At the end of April, the Netherlands, along with eleven other European countries, asked the European Commission for permission to relax the usual consumer protection regulations with regard to airline travel: in short, airlines would be able to offer customers a voucher only, instead of a refund. But customers must be offered a choice according to European rules.

Governments should save their own tourism sectors

The Commission has said that governments themselves should save the tourism sector, and that such a burden should not be put on consumers themselves: many of whom are, after all, dealing with the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their personal lives, as well.

Should customers lose their right to choose between a refund and a voucher to save the tourism sector? Let us know in the comments below.

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Hotels, restaurants and cafes are set to open up after June 1. But of course, coronavirus is still widespread across the country and there will be conditions attached. 

The Koninklijke Horeca Nederland is a trade association which has comprised a protocol for the catering industry and how compliance with the coronavirus regulations must be carried out, RTL Nieuws reports.

Here’s what you can expect:

Minimal customers

In order for restaurants to plan accordingly and keep the numbers at a low, you’ll need to make a reservation as spontaneous customers will not be permitted.

Before entering the restaurant, you’ll need to wash your hands or use hand sanitiser in order to disinfect them.

Passing a “test”

Then, you’ll be asked a couple questions before entering, namely whether you have coronavirus symptoms: whether you’ve had a cough, a cold, a fever over 38 degrees, shortness of breath in the past 24 hours. You’ll also be asked if someone you live with has the aforementioned symptoms. The restaurant or cafe can refuse entry if they suspect any complaints.

And finally…

If you do pass this “test,” employees will be able to serve you within 1.5 meters distance, so you don’t need to worry about awkward interactions with waitstaff (at least due to corona).

Other measures to keep in mind

• You can only be seated at a restaurant with a maximum of four other people, unless you belong to a household consisting of more people
• At bars, only 4 people are allowed to sit side by side, unless you’re in a larger household.
• Once guests have left, the areas need to be cleaned thoroughly.

Seems like it might be more stressful than enjoyable to visit a restaurant in corona times.

Do you plan on visiting a restaurant after June 1? Let us know in the comments.  

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Since yesterday, there are 54 more deaths in the Netherlands due to the novel coronavirus, more than 3 times as many compared to yesterday. On Tuesdays, however, the numbers are always higher compared to other days of the week due to a delayed count. 

Overall, 5,456 deaths have been reported in total. There are also 196 new coronavirus cases here in the Netherlands (bringing the total to 42,984).  Hospital admissions are more or less the same compared to yesterday— 35 new admissions (the total is now 11,378) compared to 36.

Although the numbers change slightly from day to day, so far it seems as if the peak that happened between March and April has subsided for now. Here’s hoping it continues.

Amsterdam company develops coronavirus test that can give result in under a minute

A young Amsterdam company, Spektrax, is working on developing a coronavirus test that can give a result within a minute.  The makers of the test are aiming for 100% accuracy, and say that so far their results have been promising in that regard.

The test is the brainchild of Spektrax founders Eva Rennen and Johan Pieter Verwey. They hope to have a reliable test within a couple of weeks, and to go into production within months.

Dutch police experience increased violence during the coronavirus crisis

Police have experienced more violence from members of the public than usual during the coronavirus crisis. 

At the beginning of the coronavirus crisis back in March, police actually noticed a drop in the amount of violence that they faced in comparison to February, before the whole crisis began. But in April, this has increased again, well beyond normal levels.

This may be due to the fines they have been giving out to people who are not obeying social distancing rules.

Dutch swimming pools trump up the bleach levels

As of yesterday, pools have once again opened their doors for eager swimmers. But of course, coronavirus is still widespread and special precautionary measures must still be taken. 

It is still unclear what exactly the role of water is in disseminating the virus (maybe they should have waited to open pools). Consequently the swimming pool industry advises pools to increase the amount of chlorine they use to keep the water clean. Normally, pools are meant to have between 0.5 to 1.5 milligrams of chlorine. Normally, a pool will have around 0.8mg. The new recommended amount is 1.4mg, pushing it close to the limit but not exceeding it.

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As of yesterday, pools have once again opened their doors for eager swimmers. But of course, coronavirus is still widespread and special precautionary measures must still be taken. 

It is still unclear what exactly the role of water is in disseminating the virus (maybe they should have waited to open pools). Consequently the swimming pool industry advises pools to increase the amount of chlorine they use to keep the water clean, RTL Nieuws reports.

Chlorine is a chemical disinfectant commonly used in pools against skin cells, sweat, urine and cosmetics. It also combats viruses and bacteria. The more disinfectant in pools, the less chance that the virus spreads. However, this isn’t necessarily good for your skin; chlorine has already proven to be a skin irritant.

Nonetheless, other kinds of bacteria (such as swimming in water containing urine and dirt) is probably also pretty bad for your skin.

Within the limits

Of course, pools wouldn’t be opening if there was any chance that swimming would be deemed unsafe. Even though the quantity of chlorine is recommended to increase, it still lies within the bounds.

Pools are meant to have between 0.5 to 1.5 milligrams of chlorine. Normally, a pool will have around 0.8mg. The new recommended amount is 1.4mg, pushing it close to the limit but not exceeding it.

Pools in corona times

From May 11 onwards, swimmers must:

• Reserve when they would like to swim beforehand
• Only visit pools with people from the same household
• Refrain from visiting pools after having used public transport (i.e. busses, trains)
• Change their clothes at home, use the toilet at home and shower at home
• Apply general coronavirus rules at the pool, such as washing hands, keeping 1.5 meters distance, etc.

Are you planning on visiting a pool in the coming days? Let us know in the comments. 

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This morning, a large-scale search in Scheveningen has started in order to find the missing surfers that disappeared yesterday evening.

Unfortunately, five of them have been found dead, reports RTL Nieuws.

Several people in trouble

It is unknown as of now how many people are in trouble. RTL Nieuws reports that at the moment, at least one other person has not yet been found.

Besides the five unfortunately deceased surfers, a one other was found alive and taken to the hospital.

Nog drie lichamen Scheveningen pic.twitter.com/3yNdXfYx3Q

— NOS Teletekst (@Teletekst) May 12, 2020

Difficult search

The search initially started last night, with lifeboats and helicopters. The search was complicated by the windy weather.

Two surfers who were present in Scheveningen yesterday but were not in trouble told the press about the difficult surfing conditions. The thick layer of foam made it difficult to get back on the surfboard once fallen in the waters. A strong water current was also present, especially after 7 PM.

Sympathy from the mayor of The Hague

The acting mayor of the Hague, Johan Remkes, shared his sympathy over Twitter. He stated that “This is first and foremost a personal drama for the relatives of the victims and for relatives who are still in uncertainty. When a group of people started surfing at the beginning of the evening, no one expected that a part would not come home. I speak on behalf of every Hagenaar and every Scheveninger when I say that we are deeply sympathetic and on the side of our neighbours.”

Reactie van waarnemend burgemeester Johan Remkes op de situatie op situatie Noordelijk Havenhoofd. pic.twitter.com/zEfbBfxzCW

— Newsroom Den Haag (@Newsroom070) May 11, 2020

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Police have experienced more violence from members of the public than usual during the coronavirus crisis. 

At the beginning of the coronavirus crisis back in March, police actually noticed a drop in the amount of violence that they faced in comparison to February, before the whole crisis began. But in April, this has increased again, well beyond normal levels, NOS reports.

Coronaspugers are the main problem

The main type of violence police are dealing with at the moment is coronaspugers, people who spit or cough at police and threaten them with infection with coronavirus. This does seem to be decreasing again in May, but the level of violence police face is still 4% higher than usual.

More fines given out than usual

This may be due to the fines they have been giving out to people who are not obeying social distancing rules. Since the end of March, police have given out over 9000 fines for people who break the rules. There have also been 13,500 nuisance reports- incidents where people will call the police on neighbours or other people who are having a party or making noise.

Violence against police is on the increase in the Netherlands

However, violence against police has been on the increase in general in the Netherlands over the past few years. This is particularly true in relation to fireworks: in 2017 and 2018, police got attacked by fireworks 6 and 16 times respectively. In 2019 that went up to 94 times.

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

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A young Amsterdam company, Spektrax, is working on developing a coronavirus test that can give a result within a minute. 

The test is the brainchild of Spektrax founders Eva Rennen and Johan Pieter Verwey. They hope to have a reliable test within a couple of weeks, and to go into production within months, Bright reports. Increasing test capacity is one of the most important conditions for further relaxing the lockdown in the Netherlands.

How does this test work?

Like all coronavirus tests, this one begins with taking a nasal swab. A medical professional will insert a long cotton swab into the nose or throat of a potential patient, and take a sample of the mucus membrane. This is the longest part of the testing process, taking about 30 seconds.

Then, the sample is put on top of a chip, which is then placed into a hand-held scanner. A laser illuminates the sample and the molecules in it start to vibrate. Then the “fingerprint” of the virus becomes clear. This all takes about an additional 10-30 seconds.

How much will it cost?

The makers of the test are aiming for 100% accuracy, and say that so far their results have been promising in that regard. They’re also not yet sure about the pricing of the test, but were quick to say that it wouldn’t be “1 or 2 euros per test”.

Test could be used for plane travellers or festival goers in the future

Once the test is perfected, Spektrax hope to massively scale up production, making up to hundreds of thousands of chips each month. This test is aimed primarily at doctors, but could also eventually be used in different situations, such as to test passengers before they fly in a plane, or festival goers before they enter the festival itself. One person could test up to 30 people per hour, Spektrax estimate.

What do you think of this new test? Let us know in the comments below.

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The RIVM has published the latest count of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands.

As of today, there are 161 more cases in the Netherlands, bringing the total to 42,788.

36 more people have ended up in the hospital, as the number of hospitalizations continues to be on a downwards trend.

Unfortunately, 16 more people have died since the last count, with 5,456 deaths so far reported in the Netherlands due to the coronavirus.

According to the RIVM, based on the current statistics, the social distancing measures seem to be working and having a positive effect in slowing down the spread of the virus.

Relaxing the lockdown: primary schools, libraries and hairdressers reopen today

Today is a big day for the Netherlands, as primary schools and most contact professions reopen. Primary schools are reopening partially today, after almost two months of schooling at home. The vast majority of schools are opting for half-full classes (where students alternate days).

Contact professions can also reopen from today: that includes masseurs, driving instructors, and nail technicians, among others. For most of these professions, customers are required to call to make an appointment. Libraries will also open today.

Number of ICU cases in the Netherlands continues to drop

The number of ICU cases is continuing to drop in the Netherlands. In the past 24 hours, there has been been a decrease of 34 coronavirus ICU cases. As of now, there are 507 coronavirus patients in ICU’s, as reported by the National Coordination Center for Patient Distribution (LCPS) this past Sunday.

In early-April during the peak of the crisis here in the Netherlands, there were 1,424 coronavirus ICU patients. As an emergency measure, that capacity was temporarily increased to 2,400 beds by bringing nurses and doctors from different departments.

No commute and no colleagues: how have Dutchies found working from home?

Half of Dutch people want to continue working from home in some capacity, research by Nationale Vacaturebank and Intermediair reveals. People’s experiences of working from home depended on a couple of things: whether they had children or not (which made it more difficult to work from home) what sort of work they did (i.e. whether it relied on communicating with others), and their relationship with their coworkers (many people missed their colleagues).

Know your Dutch slang: corona edition

There is an influx of new words birthed during the corona crisis, creating a coronawoordenboek of over seven hundred words. Lucky for us, a lot of them are also brilliant.

Check out top 20 coronavirus slang words, categorised under the following: socialising, dating, regarding government matters, and isolation, defined purely for your entertainment and perhaps use.

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