COVID-19 confirmed in second person in the Netherland
Last night a second person in the Netherlands was confirmed as having COVID-19. The initial diagnosis was made following laboratory tests carried out by Amsterdam UMC, which were then independently confirmed by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The patient in question, who lives in the Amsterdam area, has no links to the first patient. She was in the Lombardy region of Italy last week and is now in home isolation in Diemen. The municipal health service (GGD) of Amsterdam is tracing anyone who may have come into contact with her.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. Government.nl/coronavirus provides relevant information in one place. This afternoon, a public information line (+31 (0)800 1351) will be made available.
One question that is frequently being asked is what people themselves can do to prevent infection. The most important things you can do are:
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
- Use paper tissues and dispose after use.
- Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.
Symptoms include fever, shortness of breath and coughing. COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Anyone who in the last 14 days has come from an area where COVID-19 is widespread (such as China and South Korea, but also some municipalities in Italy) and who develops a fever and a cough or shortness of breath can be tested for the virus. Doctors can also request that anyone who has been in contact with a COVID-19 patient be tested.
The virus can be spread via air droplets, released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. To prevent the further spread of the virus in the Netherlands, the municipal health services (GGD) are working with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) to trace anyone who has been in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients. These people will be monitored and must take their temperatures twice daily, reporting the readings to the GGD in their area. They must also report any symptoms that may develop. These measures reduce the likelihood that the virus will spread further in the Netherlands.
RIVM experts are staying alert to new infections and always ensure the same protocol is applied: isolating the patient, tracing anyone they may have been in close contact with and carrying out continued monitoring.