Infectiologist Joost Wiersinga: 'We anticipate a busy winter in the hospital’

As autumn sets in, positive COVID-19 tests resurface. Is this a cause for concern this winter, or has COVID-19 truly taken on the characteristics of a common flu? Professor of Infectious Diseases, Joost Wiersinga, 'Currently, the rhinovirus is more prevalent in the emergency room than COVID-19.'

Prof. Wiersinga: ‘I don't fully agree with the ‘je’ in the Dutch word for flu, griepje. You can have a little cold, but the flu is influenza, and older individuals and those with chronic conditions can become very ill and end up in the hospital due to the influenza virus.’

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has now been added to the list of respiratory viruses that hospitals frequently deal with during the winter, including the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the rhinovirus, and the flu (influenza virus). This combination of respiratory viruses creates a hospital rush, followed by the familiar bed shortage and a newfound scarcity of nurses. Prof. Wiersinga: 'For this reason, we expect it to be a busy winter in the hospital. Although no one knows exactly how it will unfold.'

Prof. Wiersinga was pleased with the Health Council's advice to administer a booster shot for Covid-19 to people at an increased risk of severe outcomes. 'This protects vulnerable patients and ensures less strain on hospital beds’, Prof. Wiersinga adds.

Vaccinating Students

So, why not proactively vaccinate students, considering they play a significant role in spreading COVID-19? According to Prof. Wiersinga, this is not necessary. 'The primary aim of the COVID vaccination campaign in the Netherlands is to reduce severe illness or mortality, not to prevent transmission. Furthermore, the Omicron variant is reportedly less pathogenic than the Delta variant and the original virus strain, reducing the likelihood of developing long COVID based on recent American studies.'

If COVID-19 infections escalate this winter, Amsterdam UMC has a well-established plan. Prof. Wiersinga: ‘'This protocol has been in place since before COVID-19, with standardized procedures developed for managing large groups of patients exhibiting similar contagious respiratory symptoms, dating back to the H1N1 influenza in 2009.' Currently, the number of COVID infections is not escalating out of control. Prof. Wiersinga emphasizes, 'Currently, the rhinovirus is the primary cause of respiratory complaints in the emergency room, not COVID-19. COVID-19 ranks second, and the flu ranks third.'

Source: Read the original article (in Dutch) by Sija van den Beukel on the FOLIA website.