Coronavirus lockdown prompted decrease in other infections

The number of disease infections in the Netherlands decreased considerably since the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus were implemented, according to figures knowledge institute Nivel received from general practitioners, AD reports.

The number of stomach flu diagnoses halved over the past months. In children under the age of four, stomach flu diagnoses decreased by 70 to 80 percent compared to other years. The same is true with ear infections, something small children often contract at day care centers and the like. Normally 500 per 100,000 toddlers contract an ear infection per week. Now it's around 100, according to Nivel.

GPs also noticed a significant decrease in mumps, eye infections, whooping cough, scarlet fever, and impetigo.

According to Nivel researcher Mariette Hooivel, this has to do with the combination of coronavirus measures. "Keeping more distance, washing hands more, fewer little children together, and people who don't go to the doctor for every little thing."

Christian Hoebe, professor of social medicine, said that the social distancing measures are effective against more than just the coronavirus. "The measures simply have an effect," he said to AD. "Not only with corona. You can also see that we have had a relatively small flu epidemic."