The corona virus has been gripping the world for over three months now. Every day, researchers worldwide are learning more and more about this new virus, which can change answers to pressing questions. A new overview with the most important information (this was the state of affairs on April 12).
This is part one of a triptych. You can read part two here, and part three is here.
What are the symptoms of the virus?
Common complaints are fever, respiratory complaints such as coughing, colds, sneezing and shortness of breath. You may also suffer from diarrhea and temporary loss of smell and taste, although this may also be due to something else.
Who is tested for the coronavirus in the Netherlands?
The test policy in the Netherlands focuses on patients from high-risk groups and healthcare workers who care for vulnerable groups. This means that not all people with complaints are tested. Anyone who is (not seriously) ill must stay home and get sick anyway. A test result will not make a difference here.
You cannot register yourself to be tested. A test is only performed if your doctor considers it necessary. You can be offered corona self-tests online, but these are not intended for home use. Often these tests show whether someone has recently been in contact with the virus, but they cannot determine whether someone is also carrying the virus. The inspectorate also warned against this.
Who are the so-called ‘vulnerable groups’ who are at extra risk?
Vulnerable groups are people who are at a higher risk for a serious course of the disease that causes the coronavirus. These are all people aged seventy or older and these people aged eighteen or older:
– with underlying conditions, such as chronic heart or kidney disease, diabetes or severe immune or respiratory and lung disorders
– people with serious behavioral problems who stay in an institution
– people with a physical disability who have a great need for care.
What about the test capacity now?
In the coming weeks, approximately 17,500 tests per day will be carried out in the Netherlands by 41 laboratories. If necessary, this can be increased to 29,000 tests per day. The capacity depends on the amount of available personnel and available materials, such as cotton swabs, packaging materials and protective equipment for the persons taking the tests. Lab analysis also requires materials such as liquids, filters and equipment.
Some of these supplies are scarce, which means that not everyone can be tested just like that. RIVM does conduct research into other test methods, for which other means are required. If these tests prove to work, more can be tested in the future.
Can I have it tested if I have already had the virus?
No, it is currently still being investigated which antibody test gives the most reliable result. People are already tested to a limited extent for this. However, it is not recommended to have your blood tested for this yourself, as this can give a feeling of false safety. It is still being investigated whether you are really immune if you have had the disease, especially if you only had mild symptoms.
What about this (group) immunity?
In the first place, the Dutch corona policy is aimed at preventing the care system from becoming overloaded and protecting vulnerable elderly people. However, no action has been taken to ensure that the virus disappears in the short term. Building group immunity is a possible consequence of the virus occurring here and not an end in itself.
We achieve group immunity (also known as herd immunity) when about 60 percent of the Dutch have had the virus and become immune. In this way, the virus can virtually no longer spread. A person who is sick would normally infect and make others ill, who in turn would infect others: a kind of chain reaction. But if the majority of the Dutch have already had the virus, the chain ‘breaks’ because the immune people can no longer become infected, let alone infect others.
It is always said that the virus is especially bad for the elderly and vulnerable people, but younger people also die, don’t they?
That’s right. About 80 percent of people with serious complaints are eighty years or older. The younger you are, the less likely you are to develop serious complaints. You may not even realize that you have been infected. But a ‘small chance’ does not mean you are not at any risk. Younger people also end up in hospital, on ICU and / or can die.
Can children transmit the virus?
From the (international) data that are now known, children seem to get few complaints. They also seem to contribute little to the spread of the virus. An investigation is currently underway in the Netherlands for which a hundred families are monitored. The first results are expected to be announced shortly, but the entire study was only completed in May.
Who are and are not included on the IC?
People who need continuous help with breathing are included on the IC. The following also applies: the older you are, the greater the consequences of an IC recording are for your condition. Doctors therefore discuss in advance what the chances of survival are and what the expected quality of life will be after IC admission. For these reasons, some people choose not to be treated. The fact that family members may not or hardly ever visit the IC also plays a role.
In the Netherlands, the capacity on the IC has meanwhile increased to nineteen hundred beds for corona patients. Currently (April 11) we are in the so-called plateau phase with about fourteen hundred patients, this number sometimes increases and sometimes decreases. It is therefore not expected that triage will have to take place yet and that there is room for all patients who want to be treated. In that case, doctors should choose who will or will not get a place on the IC, such as in Italy. Guidelines are being drawn up for this, but they do not appear to be necessary (for the time being).
How is the virus transmitted?
The coronavirus is largely transmitted through coughing and sneezing. The virus enters the air through droplets. But it cannot hang around indefinitely, says the World Health Organization (WHO). If people in your vicinity breathe in these droplets or if these droplets get on their hands and they are on their eyes, nose or mouth, they can become infected. There are also indications that someone without symptoms can be contagious, but it is still unclear to what extent this contributes to the total spread.
Is keeping 1.5 meters away from others enough?
Respiratory infections can spread through drops or through so-called aerosols. Drops are relatively large and heavy and will precipitate faster due to gravity, approximately after 1.5 meters. Aerosols are microscopic particles released during intensive care procedures. These particles are much smaller and lighter and can therefore linger longer in the air and spread further. 1.5 meters away (without protective equipment) is therefore not enough on the IC, but it is enough in everyday life.
Read the continuation of this article (part two) for the following questions:
– Can you also transmit the virus if you are not ill?
– Can you get sick if you touch things or surfaces?
– What should you do if you think you have the virus?
– Can someone who has had the coronavirus infect other people?
– How quickly can you heal after an infection?
– Does it make sense to wear a face mask?
– Is there any treatment for the virus yet?
– Is there a vaccine yet?
And finally, in part three of this article, you will read the answers to all these questions:
– Can the virus change?
– It was said that this virus will disappear in the summer, is this correct?
– Is corona more common in areas with a lot of air pollution?
– Can my pet become infected?
– Can you get the virus through drinking water?
– Is the coronavirus in sewage?
– What is the incubation period of the coronavirus?
– How dangerous is the virus?
– Why does the Netherlands not keep track of the number of healed patients?
– Can you get the virus again if you’ve already been infected?
– It is striking that many people on the IC are overweight, does this say anything about the virus?
– Are men really more at risk than women for worse complaints?
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