The COVID-19 Pandemic in Nijmegen, the Netherlands: Changes in Presented Health Problems and Demand for Primary Care

We studied the changes in presented health problems and demand for primary care since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Netherlands. We analyzed prominent symptom features of COVID-19, and COVID-19 itself as the reason for encounter. Also, we analyzed the number and type of encounters for common important health problems. Respiratory tract symptoms related to COVID-19 were presented more often in 2020 than in 2019. We observed a dramatic increase of telephone/e-mail/Internet consultations in the months after the outbreak. Contacts for other health problems such as prevention and acute and chronic conditions plummeted substantially (P Key words: COVID-19; coronavirus; general practice; delivery of healthcare; primary care; the Netherlands https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2625
INTRODUCTION The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the Netherlands started at the end of February 2020. Following a steep rise in the number of cases in March 2020, the [...]