News | RIVM

Respiratory infections now in season

It is October and seasonal respiratory infections are on the rise. In autumn and winter, there is an increase in people who are coughing and sneezing. Various viruses or bacteria can cause a respiratory infection.

RIVM identifies three major challenges for public health and healthcare in period to 2050

The Dutch public health and healthcare will face three crucial challenges in the period to 2050. This is according to RIVM’s preview of the Dutch Public Health Foresight Study 2024.

Respiratory infections season started

More and more people are coughing and sneezing, although it is not an epidemic at this point. The season in which respiratory infections circulate in the Netherlands has now started. There are various viruses that can cause respiratory infections.

RSV summer peak possibly caused by declining antibodies during COVID-19 pandemic

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common virus that causes cold symptoms. In particularly, young children and vulnerable older people are more likely to become seriously ill if they get it.

High rates of RSV in children over the summer, and a late flu epidemic in the 2021-2022 season

Hospitals reported an unusually large number of children presenting with RSV over the summer of 2021. The number of positive coronavirus tests rapidly increased after the summer of 2021.

Better monitoring of RSV thanks to new European project

RIVM and Nivel contribute to building a European RSV monitoring network. Through the network, European health institutions and laboratories will exchange data on the spread of RSV. This will help us to better monitor the virus.

COVID-19 consequences impact vulnerable groups more in the long term

The effects of the COVID-19 crisis have a greater impact on vulnerable groups in society, such as lower-educated adults, young people, the elderly and people with underlying health problems.

Biosafety and Biosecurity on the Global Health Security Agenda

Since 2018, the Netherlands leads the way in the field of "Biosafety and Biosecurity" within the international Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).

Global Infectious Disease Control hampered by the CBD Nagoya Protocol

So far, none of the models used by international networks of biobanks to arrange the legal responsibility under the CBD-Nagoya protocol works efficiently.

First products Dutch Public Health Foresight study available in English

In 2017, RIVM launched a Trend Scenario, as well as three thematic reports about the future demand for health care, technology and wider determinants of health.