What if the pandemic had been handled differently?
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What if the pandemic had been handled differently?

Mar 13, 2025
Niel Hens reflects in an interview on ‘De Ochtend’ (Radio 1) Five years ago, Belgium was on the verge of its first COVID-19 lockdown. This morning on Radio 1, Niel Hens, looked back on those crucial early weeks and discussed new insights from recent studies. In the interview, Hens highlighted…
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Are we ready for the next pandemic?

Are we ready for the next pandemic?

Feb 25, 2025
Newspaper De Standaard reports on most important lessons learned, five year since the start of the pandemic.Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, experts now worry about a new potential threat: bird flu. As the virus continues to spread among mammals, the question arises—are we better prepared than…
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Code orange: infectious diseases on the rise

Code orange: infectious diseases on the rise

Jan 13, 2025
The Risk Management Group (RMG) has elevated the warning level for respiratory infections to code orange, signaling a significant need for increased vigilance as symptoms surge across communities. What does code orange mean? This heightened warning comes with clear recommendations aimed at curbing the spread of respiratory infections: Mask up:…
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The enduring influence of vaccine hesitancy | NEW PAPER
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The enduring influence of vaccine hesitancy | NEW PAPER

Nov 14, 2024
The longer someone delays getting vaccinated, the less likely they are to get vaccinated at all. In our new study, we explore how this long-lasting vaccine hesitancy can impact how an epidemic unfolds. Using data from the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Portugal, we analysed vaccination waiting times (i.e. time between…
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How to weigh the costs and benefits of health investments

How to weigh the costs and benefits of health investments

Oct 30, 2024
When it comes to health, we all know that making proactive choices—like exercising more—is beneficial. But with limited time, energy, and budgets, how do you decide where to invest? Should you buy running shoes, sign up for a gym membership, or grab a 10-session fitness pass? This dilemma extends beyond…
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Infectieradar resumes data collection

Infectieradar resumes data collection

Sep 25, 2024
Infectieradar has officially launched its fourth year of data collection, inviting citizens across the country to report weekly on their symptoms, or lack thereof, to help us model the spread of infectious diseases like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. This initiative plays a vital role in understanding how these diseases spread…
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GEOMED 2024 welcomes spatial epidemiologists to Hasselt

GEOMED 2024 welcomes spatial epidemiologists to Hasselt

Sep 16, 2024
Last week, we've had the pleasure of hosting researchers from across the globe in Hasselt for GEOMED 2024, a conference dedicated to advancing the field of spatial epidemiology. Spatial epidemiology has become very important for public health management to understand how diseases are geographically spread, to understand how environmental, social…
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