Netherlands joined the list of countries who got hit with an unusual increase in influenza patients during flu season.
Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) shared on Wednesday, that the annual flu epidemic has started in European country Netherlands, as reported by NL .
The viral outbreak has made hospitals crowded with school struggling to be open as most of the teachers are forced to stay at home due to their sickness.
Number of people visiting doctors with flu-like symptoms increased vastly in recent weeks, with the rate of official diagnosed spiking.
Along with that, the respiratory syncytial virus (RVS) among children is also taking a sharp turn.
"Because of this combination, it is busier now than last year," Esther Cornegé-Blokland, chairwoman of the Dutch Association for Clinical Geriatrics (NVKG) informed the outlet.
Some hospitals are scaling down planned care to make sure there is enough capacity to care for incoming flu patients, Yara Basta, the chairwoman of the Dutch Association for Emergency Physicians shared.
While several healthcare centres have opened special wards for influenza patients.
With schools being short-staff, the teachers are struggling to cover for their sick colleagues while simultaneously taking care of children and themselves.
Sterrenschool primary school in Hilversum, director Ivonne de Bondt has to substitute for sick teachers while she herself is also becoming ill has revealed, "That is much more than normal."
