News | RIVM

Last winter’s flu epidemic was short and mild. And then COVID-19 arrived.

The flu epidemic in the winter of 2019/2020 was mild and lasted only 5 weeks.

De griepepidemie in de winter van 2019/2020 was mild en duurde slechts 5 weken.

Mild 2018-2019 influenza epidemic

The annual influenza epidemic in the winter of 2018-2019 was less severe than the year before. Approximately 400,000 people have had the flu.

Influenza-like Illness Incidence Is Not Reduced by Influenza Vaccination

Influenza vaccination reduces the number of influenza virus infections but not the overall number of illness.

Guus Velders in Nature's "Ten people that mattered this year"

Researcher Dr Guus Velders of RIVM has made the Nature top-10 list of 2016. This means that, according to Nature, he was one of the 10 most influential scientists in 2016.

RIVM research basis for historic climate agreement on HFCs

Scientific research by RIVM’s Guus Velders stood partly at the basis of the HFC global climate agreement.

Moderate flu season

Last winter season, the duration and severity of the influenza epidemic was moderate compared to previous years.

Without measures emissions of HFC greenhouse gases will increase rapidly

Without global agreement on the use of HFCs, their contribution to the greenhouse effect may increase sharply to 10 percent of that of CO2 by 2050. The current contribution is less than 1 percent.

Flu season in the winter of 2014 / 2015 more severe and longer than preceding years

The flu epidemic in the winter of 2014 / 2015 lasted 21 weeks and as such was the longest epidemic ever recorded in the Netherlands. Nearly two million people suffered from flu-like symptoms.

HFC greenhouse gases accumulate in refrigerators and air conditioners

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners and are released primarily at the end of the life-span of these products.