Respiratory illness in the Netherlands
The three major respiratory pathogens side by side (influenza, COVID-19 and RSV), based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from NIVEL + RIVM.
Influenza: Low
Low
No. Flu activity in the Netherlands is currently low and holding steady (as of 16 Aug 2026).
Data window: Week 33 · Aug 10 – Aug 16 · Source: ECDC (weekly) · Source on seasonal break, next data from week 40
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View the last 8 weeks
In week 33 of 2026, Influenza activity in the Netherlands is classified as low.
Across the last 8 reported weeks the highest reading was week 29; the level was low in 8 of them.
The last 8 reported weeks
| Week | Relative | Level | vs prior week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 33 | 0 | Low | – |
| Week 32 | 0 | Low | −100% |
| Week 31 | 57 | Low | – |
| Week 30 | 0 | Low | −100% |
| Week 29 | 100 | Low | – |
| Week 28 | 0 | Low | – |
| Week 27 | 0 | Low | – |
| Week 26 | 0 | Low | – |
Relative means the highest of these weekly values is set to 100. Exact incidence rates are in the app.
Current activity
- InfluenzaLowfallingWeek 33Trend: falling · Week 33
- COVID-19LowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
- RSVLowstableWeek 33Trend: stable · Week 33
Situation by pathogen
Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are all at low activity in the Netherlands right now. This reads the weekly ECDC publications, most recently Week 33.
InfluenzaDetails
In week 33 of 2026, activity of influenza (seasonal flu) in the Netherlands is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is falling.
COVID-19Details
In week 33 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in the Netherlands is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable. Over a four-week comparison, a clear decline is visible.
RSVDetails
In week 33 of 2026, activity of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the Netherlands is low. The trend, derived from clinical surveillance, is stable.
Data, context and methodology
The current picture for the Netherlands is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). NIVEL together with RIVM is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities, in the Netherlands's case NIVEL together with RIVM, submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
NIVEL together with RIVM operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone: consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Source and seasonal pattern by pathogen
- Influenza
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on NIVEL primary care surveillance and virological data from RIVM (note that some indicators reflect influenza-like illness consultation rates only). Seasonally, infection waves in the Netherlands typically peak between January and March; activity is usually markedly lower during the summer months.
- COVID-19
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 indicators from NIVEL primary care surveillance and RIVM virological data (note that some indicators reflect ILI consultation rates only). Seasonally, infection waves in the Netherlands typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves.
- RSV
- The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on RSV indicators from NIVEL primary care surveillance and RIVM virological data (note that ECDC coverage of RSV positivity can be limited for the Netherlands). Seasonally, infection waves in the Netherlands typically peak between December and February; activity is usually markedly lower in spring and summer.
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.
More situation reports
Data last refreshed: Aug 31, 2026, 11:10. Update cadence: weekly.
This page is not medical advice and does not replace consultation with a healthcare professional. For specific symptoms, please contact a medical professional.
About this page
Published by Renderei Martin GmbH, Berlin. No commercial interest in individual health recommendations. The app is optionally monetised via a freemium subscription.
Content is based exclusively on the linked official surveillance publications. Medical statements are curated against the guidance of RKI, ECDC and WHO.
Methodology enquiries: press@infectrisk.com