COVID-19 and Safe Patient Handling and Mobility in the Netherlands

The COVID-19 pandemic started in the Netherlands at the end of February in the southern part of the country. That was the region where traditionally carnival is celebrated with a lot of people having fun in close physical contact. At the same time, there was an early spring holiday where people went to the northern parts of Italy for skiing. That region in Italy (Lombardy) was heavily affected by the coronavirus. Some people unknowingly became infected with COVID-19 and took it home with them. It is suggested that those 2 factors triggered the epidemic in the small and densely populated country of the Netherlands, although, it has been implied there were earlier cases that were probably COVID-19-related but were not diagnosed as such. 

Knibbe HJJ, Waaijer E

Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, safe patient handling and mobility, international, training and education