In a press release, the Federation of Medical Specialists (FMS), an umbrella organization representing approximately 22,000 specialists and institutions in the Netherlands, calls for all schools in the Netherlands to be closed due to the corona virus. The organization also calls on all Dutch people to avoid social contacts.
According to the FMS, there is still too little evidence that children cannot transmit the coronavirus. The organization said this on Saturday morning during a webinar with a thousand doctors about the care of patients with the COVID-19 virus. “As a result of this webinar, we are asking politicians whether there is indeed sufficient substantiation for the decision to keep the schools open,” says ENT physician and federation chairman Paul van Benthem.
The FMS believes that caution should be taken and all schools should therefore close.
At a news conference on Thursday about the new measures being taken due to the spread of the virus, Prime Minister Mark Rutte reported that schools do not have to close their doors yet. According to the Prime Minister, the social consequences of such a decision would be too great, because parents may have to work in important sectors such as healthcare. Also, few children would be infected with the virus and the chances of children infecting each other would be very small.
The FMS has doubts about this. “We ask politicians: do the maximum that is necessary. We want to keep our doctors and all care providers safe, even in the home situation. Is there sufficient evidence to support the decision that the children do not contribute much to the transmission of the virus?”, is stated in the statement.
Avoid social contact
The federation also urges all Dutch people not to go to parties and to avoid social contact as much as possible. “We really have to do this if we want to stop the increase in the number of infections together,” says Van Benthem.
The chairman also called for more aid to hospitals, such as the provision of protective equipment for healthcare staff and patients. According to Van Benthem, the webinar also showed a great need for the sharing of knowledge and information between doctors.
Follow the latest developments around the virus in our live blog.
The coronavirus in short
- The virus mainly spreads through cough and sneeze droplets that hang briefly in the air.
- An infected person infects two to three others on average. This number may decrease with proper precautions.
- The vast majority of patients have mild (flu-like) complaints.
- Almost all deaths involve older or already sick people. You can protect these people with precautions.
- Read here what the most important precautions are.
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