What's going around in the Netherlands?
Influenza: Low, COVID-19: Low, RSV: Low
Not many. Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are all at low activity in the Netherlands (as of 4 Oct 2026).
Data window: Week 40 · Sep 28 – Oct 4 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Next update Fri, Oct 16
Current activity
Source: ECDC ERVISS, ECDC Data. Published weekly, about one week behind.
Frequently asked questions
How is overall respiratory-illness activity tracked in the Netherlands?
RIVM publishes a weekly respiratory-virus surveillance report covering flu, COVID-19, RSV, and other pathogens, drawing on Nivel sentinel GP data, virological testing at Erasmus MC and RIVM, hospital admission data, and wastewater measurements. Dutch data also feeds the ECDC ERVISS platform. On infectrisk.com we condense this into a qualitative low/moderate/high classification.
Did the Netherlands experience a “tripledemic”?
“Tripledemic” is a media label for the simultaneous winter circulation of flu, COVID-19, and RSV. The Netherlands saw clear co-circulation of all three pathogens in the 2022–2023 season, with noticeable pressure on paediatric care driven by RSV and on adult acute care. Co-circulation has continued in subsequent winters, though the relative intensity of each pathogen varies.
Why do respiratory illnesses peak in a Dutch winter?
The drivers line up in every temperate country. Many respiratory viruses remain stable longer in cold, dry indoor air, heated homes and offices lower humidity in ways that weaken airway defence, and people mix indoors more during winter. Schools and end-of-year gatherings accelerate transmission just as seasonal immunity is at its lowest. The Dutch peak typically sits a little later than the broader European average.
What is “immune debt”?
“Immune debt” describes how, after prolonged low circulation of a pathogen — for instance during strict COVID-19 measures — population-level immunity gradually declines and subsequent seasons can hit harder. The Netherlands' post-pandemic RSV and flu seasons showed patterns consistent with this effect, with unusually early or intense paediatric RSV activity. It is a temporary catch-up phenomenon, not a permanent immune change.
How does RIVM decide that activity is “high”?
RIVM uses thresholds derived from historical surveillance data. Current sentinel incidence, hospitalisations, positivity rates, and wastewater signals are compared against baselines from past non-epidemic weeks and against severe-season reference points. When several indicators cross into elevated bands at the same time, the weekly bulletin classifies activity as high, using the same framework that structures the Netherlands' ECDC ERVISS contribution.