Unless you have been under a rock during the past few weeks you will be aware that the coronavirus is dominating world news. And Dutch news.
Situation in the Netherlands
As of the time of writing there are just over 500 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Netherlands, predominantly centred in the province of North Brabant.
Measures in Brabant
A press conference this week outlined measures being taken in Brabant.
- The mayors of the big cities are calling for residents of the province to minimise social contact for seven days
- If you show symptoms of colds or flu stay home
- Schools should remain open and act as childcare facilities, to facilitate those working from home
- Large scale events with 1000+ participants are cancelled
- Paid and amateur sport events are cancelled
Spoiler Alert: The Virus Can Cross Province Borders
The measures announced apply to Brabant. Not the whole of the Netherlands. This means that schools and workplaces are open. Sport events continue. Life pretty much goes on as normal elsewhere. With the advice of the extra measures listed below.
Apparently there are people who don’t realise that extremely short term measures restricted to a small area in the Netherlands may not quite be enough. Unless someone had a word with the coronavirus here and explained it’s not to cross province borders these measures certainly won’t spell the end of the virus in the Netherlands.
What Has the Dutch Government Response Been So Far?
The official advice is so far:
- Regularly wash your hands
- Cough and sneeze in your elbow
- Use paper tissues
- Don’t shake hands
It won’t have escaped your notice that Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, has become a laughing stock as he shook the hands of Jaap van Dissel, the head of the RIVM, at the end of a press conference where he told us all to limit social contact and not shake hands with others.
Further, behind the scenes, healthcare professionals are preparing for a Dutch epidemic.
Response to the Dutch Government’s Response
To say that many feel the Dutch government’s response to the coronavirus is lax is quite the understatement.
The Irish Times published this article: How Dutch false sense of security helped coronavirus spread, which has hit a nerve for sure.
As we watch the lockdown in Italy unfurl in the face of an unprecedented health crisis, and Denmark and Poland follow preventative suit, many residents of the Netherlands scratch their heads in confusion seeing the lack of concrete action from the Dutch government.
And why is there so little action, in the face of an inevitable crisis? Economy over public health. Money over people. Perhaps.
As I write Dutch ministers are discussing potential measures following developments in the last fews days.
The Hope That Common Sense Prevails
In the absence of the government taking concrete, drastic measures there is the hope that individuals, businesses and establishments will use common sense and take measures that help slow down the spread of the virus.
And that hope is substantiated. Companies are cancelling events. Hospitals are limiting visitors to sick patients (to one a day at one particular hospital). Some schools are closing their doors, in some situations because of teacher shortages as a result of illness.
In my local environment, my husband’s employer is telling staff to work at home unless they need to be present in the office. However, courses are going ahead, which draw participants from around the country.
My eldest’s school has cancelled all planned international trips up to May.
And that’s about it. Life goes on as normal.
For now.
Coronavirus Measures Taken in Other Countries
As I mentioned Italy is in lockdown. Public life has shut down.
Denmark has also gone on national lockdown.
Poland has closed schools and universities, museums, cinemas and theaters.
The USA has banned travel from EU countries. Obviously it’s Europe’s fault. What springs to mind: stable door closed, horse already bolted.
All NBA action has temporarily come to a halt.
Football matches are being played behind closed doors, or are being cancelled in various countries such as Italy and France.
The Spanish government is currently considering locking Madrid down as a containment measure. In Spain there will be no La Liga matches played for two weeks. Yet, thousands of Spanish fans gathered in Liverpool yesterday for Atletico Madrid’s match.
And in the Netherlands? The KNVB announced yesterday that all eredivisie matches will take place at the weekend with supporters present.
The Eurovision Song Contest to be held in the Netherlands in May has not yet been postponed.
My understanding is that flights from countries with high numbers of infected people are still landing unrestricted in the Netherlands. As they are in the UK.
The World Health Organization has relayed alarm at the inaction of some countries in response to the virus. You can read the Twitter thread of the press conference (11 March) here, where the WHO announced that the coronavirus is now considered a pandemic.
And many people are alarmed, even furious, at the lack of measures taken in the Netherlands to date. The same applies in the UK.
What to do if You Think You May Have the Coronavirus
The RIVM website states what to do should you fall ill and suspect the coronavirus:
- Verkoudheidsklachten of verhoging tot 38,0 graden Celsius én
- Contact gehad met een patiënt met het coronavirus, of ben je in een gebied geweest waar het coronavirus heerst:
- China (inclusief Hong Kong)
- Italië
- Iran
- Zuid-Korea
Blijf thuis, ziek uit en zorg dat je anderen niet besmet. Houd dus afstand tot andere mensen. Je hoeft de huisarts niet te bellen. Je klachten zijn mild. Dit kan ook een gewone verkoudheid zijn.
Worden je klachten erger:
• Je hebt koorts (meer dan 38 graden Celsius)
• Je moet hoesten of je bent benauwd
Dan moet je wel bellen met de huisarts.
Translated, this means if you have a temperature up to 38.0 degrees or cold symptoms and have had contact with a coronavirus patient from China, Italy, Iran or South Korea then stay home. Only call your GP if your temperature goes above 38 degrees or you develop a cough or breathing problems.
And in this governmental advice (same on RIVM website as on the Rijksoverheid site) lies the crux of why the trust in the official figures of those actually infected is low.
We are surely beyond the point that only contact with an infected patient from one of the above mentioned countries can result in somebody having the virus.
Self-Isolation
Self-isolation is set to be one of the key words of 2020.
And deciding to heed advice and self-isolate is not necessarily about your health, but more about protecting the health of vulnerable members of society. The elderly. Those with pre-existing conditions. Those who are deemed to be at high risk from the effects of the coronavirus.
Self-isolation is about us being, for once, focussed on other people and not on ourselves. Social distancing requires a change in our mentality for a while. But we’re all capable of doing that. For the sake of others. And for that of our health systems.
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