Far too early to discuss loosening lockdown, says Outbreak Team member

Early research published this week suggesting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes less severe symptoms of Covid-19 is positive news, said Outbreak Management Team member Marc Bonten. However, a sharp rise in the total number of infections caused by the variant could still mean far more patients require hospitalization than the Dutch healthcare system can handle, the microbiologist told Nieuwsuur.

“The chance of the very grim scenario, with thousands of patients simultaneously needing intensive care in the Netherlands, has now become much smaller, that's for sure,” he acknowledged. “That all seems very good, but if the total number of infections continues to rise so quickly, there is still a good chance that the English healthcare system will also be overrun with patients. And of course that also applies to the Netherlands.”

The number of coronavirus infections in England is continuing to double every two days, Bonten said. “If the total number of infections continues to rise so quickly, there is a real chance that the English healthcare system will become bogged down with patients.” The same could happen in the Netherlands, Bonten continued.

Early research in Amsterdam also suggested a doubling of Omicron infections every two to three days. The Omicron variant is believed to be significantly more contagious than the Delta variant, which was also spread from person to person easier than earlier iterations of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The Omicron variant has already become dominant in Amsterdam, and it is expected to become dominant nationally by the end of the year.

“It is up to the Cabinet to decide what needs to be done, but if the question to the OMT is, ‘Can we safely reduce measures now, because we are out of the danger zone?’ The answer is still a very clear ‘no.’”