News | RIVM

Post-COVID less common after Omicron infection

After a SARS-CoV-2 infection involving Omicron, 1 in 10 people still have symptoms three months later. This is almost 2 times lower than after an infection involving the Delta variant. This is evident from new results of the LongCOVID study at RIVM. There is variation in the frequency of specific post-COVID symptoms after an infection with the Omicron or Delta variant.

Flu epidemic officially over

The flu epidemic that started halfway through December 2022 is now over. This is the conclusion drawn by experts of RIVM, Erasmus MC and the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (Nivel) on the basis of information supplied by GPs, hospitals and laboratories.

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Safe recycling of textiles possible, but still in its infancy

Textiles are produced using chemicals. Although many hazardous chemicals may no longer be used in textile production, they may still be present in donations of old clothing. RIVM has conducted a study into the safety of recycled textiles.

Quick action needed to prevent drinking water shortage in 2030

The demand for drinking water will increase until at least 2030. The supply is under strain due to climate change and pollution. There are already regional shortages. If measures are not taken, shortages will occur throughout the Netherlands in 2030.

Rapid developments in modern biotechnology are a challenge for risk assessment

Due to developments in modern biotechnology, such as genome editing, synthetic biology and regulation of gene expression, many new applications are expected in the next ten years.

Bacteriophages: insufficient understanding of phage treatment of human infections

Bacteriophages are viruses that can kill bacteria. The question is whether bacteriophages can be used to treat infections in humans.

National Action Plan for sexual health

The Dutch National Action Plan for STI, HIV and sexual health describes the most important goals for the next five years.

Greenhouse gas emissions slightly down in 2017

Despite the growth of the economy, greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands in 2017 were1 percent lower than in the previous year.

Addictive nicotine and harmful substances also present in heated tobacco

Heated tobacco products are newly available on the market. An example of such a product is the heatstick which is heated with an iQOS, a device that looks like an e-cigarette.

Continued high effectiveness of vaccines against Hib disease

A recent study by RIVM and AMC shows that the effectiveness of vaccination against Hib is still high.