Covid hospitalizations back on the rise after new virus variant emerges

Hospitals in the Netherlands are again treating more patients with serious symptoms of Covid-19. The total number of admitted patients with the coronavirus disease has risen to 114. That is the highest total since May 30. The recent rise seems to be in tandem with the emergence of the EG.5 variant of the coronavirus.

The national patient distribution service, LCPS, reported last Friday that 87 people who tested positive for coronavirus were in hospital care. That means a net increase of 27 more patients were admitted over the weekend versus those who were released from care. Exactly one week ago, hospitals had 72 people with coronavirus under their care.

Almost all admitted patients are in the regular care wards with symptoms that have not become severe. Four people are currently in intensive care units for Covid-19 complaints.

In the past seven working days, 210 people who tested positive ended up in a regular care ward or intensive care unit, an average of 30 per day. That is the highest influx in almost three months.

Slightly more coronavirus particles have been found in sewage water in recent weeks. This indicates that more people are actually infected. But the numbers are very limited when compared to previous coronavirus waves, according to the RIVM, the country's public health institute.

The slight increase may be due to the emergence of a new version of the virus called EG.5, which is also commonly known as the Eris variant. With a few minor mutations, the new variant is potentially more capable of evading people's built-up immunity. However, there is no evidence that the new subvariant causes more severe symptoms than the older variants.

The Covid-19 vaccines have been adapted to the group of virus variants, and should also offer protection against EG.5. These vaccines will be used in the next round of booster injections this fall, and should therefore also help prevent severe symptoms caused by the EG.5 variant.