Up to 40 hospital admissions per day to check for virus NOW

According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), forty hospital admissions per day (on average over the past three days) is the limit to maintain maximum control over the corona virus, Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge writes in a letter (pdf) to the Second Room.

This number (the signal value) is part of the so-called ‘dashboard’ that is currently being developed in collaboration with the RIVM and the GGD to monitor the spread of the coronavirus.

The dashboard contains five main indicators that provide an up-to-date picture of the epidemic in terms of numbers: the number of corona-related hospital admissions, the number of IC admissions due to the coronavirus, the reproduction number (how many people on average infect someone), the number of positive tests and the total number of people estimated to is infected.

Signal values ​​are drawn up for all these indicators, as has been done with the number of hospital admissions. The maximum number of IC withdrawals (averaged over the past three days) is set at ten. The reproduction number must not exceed 1.0. The values ​​for the other two main indicators have yet to be determined.

The actual values ​​are plotted against these values. As long as the numbers do not exceed these values ​​(for a long time), it is possible to maintain maximum control over the virus.

Other indicators and interpretation will also be included in a later version

In addition to the five main indicators, a set of supporting factors and a set of early warning indicators are also being developed. In a first operational version of the dashboard, however, only the main indicators and nursing home figures are displayed, at national and regional level.

In a later version, the other two groups of indicators will be included, with a scientific explanation. The dashboard will also provide “an overview of all applicable measures and advice, at national and regional level”.

Minister De Jonge strives to present a trial version of the dashboard in the very short term. A first operational version should be operational in the second half of June.

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