Alert Phase 1 has ended. According to OMT’s latest advice, Corona is no longer a pandemic, but rather a part of our daily lives. Does this mean we can also roll out the latest advice and rules? Marion Koopmans, virologist and OMT team member, joins Op1.
The coronavirus is now in the endemic stage in the Netherlands, the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) said, which means the virus can be treated like the flu, for example. That’s why OMT has proposed canceling all recent corona rules, such as testing and isolation. “Now look what you’re going to do with all the respiratory infections.”
There’s still a lot of corona left, says OMT’s Marion Koopmans. Now, 98 percent of people have some form of immunity. You see that fewer people are hospitalized for each number of infections. That picture together says that the exceptional situation that Corona enjoys, is no longer appropriate.” Therefore, the advice changed to how to deal with all respiratory infections for the vulnerable.
Watch the conversation here.
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