The new coronavirus (aka SARS-CoV-2), poses many questions for all of us. Questions that doctors and scientists also find difficult to answer, because new insights are available every day. Where can you find the most current and reliable information? Surf to these websites.
Questions about the spread of the virus and what you can do about it
Best tip: the RIVM
The most informed website about the coronavirus is that of the RIVM. RIVM is a kind of head office of the GGDs and is therefore best informed about the spread of the virus in the Netherlands. RIVM is also a knowledge institute in the field of infectious diseases, with its own laboratories. At RIVM you will therefore find both the latest figures and the latest insights.
www.rivm.nl/nieuws/actuele-informatie-over-coronavirus
The Dutch government
All measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the virus can be found here.
www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/coronavirus-covid-19
Europe
ECDC is the European headquarters of all European knowledge centers for infectious disease control such as RIVM. Similar to the American CDC, which you may know from movies about virus outbreaks. The ECDC website is in English, but very useful if you are looking for reliable data about the outbreak in other European countries.
Questions about the symptoms
Best tip: Home doctor
The website Thuisarts.nl is made by the Dutch College of General Practitioners, the knowledge institute for general practitioners. It is a very practical and easy-to-read website about infection chances and symptoms.
www.thuisarts.nl/nieuw-coronavirus
Self test corona
Do you have complaints and do you want to know whether it could be due to the coronavirus? This website contains a handy self-test. It was made on the basis of the Dutch Triage Standard (NTS) and the standards of the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG).
www.moetiknaardedokter.nl/klacht/coronavirus/
More difficult questions
Can’t find answers to your questions via the above websites? You can also check this website with the guidelines for the COVD-19 virus. The information is intended for doctors and other healthcare providers and contains a lot of medical jargon. But it is still worth mentioning, because here it is concretely explained what the known facts are about the new corona virus. For example, the incubation period is on average 5 to 6 days, but can also be 14 days. Or that 68% of people with an infection suffer from a dry cough, and 33% suffer from sputum, or phlegm. Useful to know if you see fake news somewhere stating that a cough with mucus cannot indicate corona.
www.lci.rivm.nl/ Guidelines/covid-19
The OLVG app
The OLVG hospital in Amsterdam has had an app made that you can use to check whether your symptoms indicate corona or not. You enter the complaints, such as sore throat, nose cold, shortness of breath and temperature. The medical specialists assess the data and can send a message or call the user.
The app was immediately extremely popular, but unfortunately only residents of ‘Greater Amsterdam’ can use it, i.e. people with zip code 1000-1119. The makers are thinking about scaling the app to more areas.
Recognize fake news
In any case, don’t be fooled by fake news. Recognize the fake news with these tips: Fake news about coronavirus: that’s not how you fall for it.
