In early May, 8.4% of health workers in Belgian hospitals had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is the conclusion of a study by Sciensano, the Belgian public health institute and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp.
Sciensano investigates how many blood donors have built up antibodies against Covid-19. For this study, Sciensano works together with the Red Cross in Flanders and the Service du Sang in Brussels and Wallonia that supply the blood samples.
The 1st COVID-19 health survey could count on 44,000 participants, thank you for that! Today we launch our 2nd survey, which focuses on the impact of the current crisis on our lifestyle and wellbeing. We are also counting on your massive participation now!
44,000 thanks to everyone who participated in the first COVID-19 health interview survey! Today we launched our second study, which focuses on our lifestyle and well-being during the current crisis. Once again we rely on a massive participation of the citizens!
Ever since the virus appeared in Belgium, Sciensano has been collecting data on the number of infections, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19. A range of collection and analysis methods were set up for this, which are regularly adjusted in order to provide the best possible picture of the current epidemic situation. An impressive operation, carried out across the country, rests upon the shoulders of dozens of scientists, with the sole aim of providing experts, authorities and the population with the necessary information.
The number of tests performed during the COVID-19 epidepic increases every day. Sciensano has decided to join forces with other laboratories in Belgium. The greater the national diagnostic capacity, the better the evolution of the epidemic will be understood and the faster each patients will get their test results.
On April 1 2020, Sciensano made the data collected on the Covid-19 epidemic accessible to everyone. All data can be consulted via the dynamic dashboard on the Epistat-website.
The study examines to what extent healthcare workers in hospitals come into contact with COVID-19. To this end the scientists will monitor 850 health workers who are representative of the health corps involved over a five-month period.
The study aims to provide answers to the following questions:
The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Belgium has shaken up our daily lives. Sciensano is launching the COVID-19 health interview survey to assess the impact of the crisis on our health, our use of health services and our health related behaviors.
Sciensano’s ‘Chemical and Physical Health Risks’ department is one of the main partners of the EU-funded ESFRI project METROFOOD to establish a new European Research Infrastructure (RI) aiming to increase efficiency in food quality and safety research by providing and coordinating high level metrological services on a European scale.
