By: Zakaria )*
When the number of corona patients increases, parents must be vigilant. The reason is that some of the patients are children and they do not get the vaccine because there is no one for those aged 18 years and under. Parents must be super protective and advise their children to always maintain health protocols.
The pandemic is not over yet and the situation is even worse because there is a surge in patients, from 8,000 to 12,000 people per day. We are even more sad because they are infected by the covid-19 virus because they are not disciplined in implementing health protocols. Even though everyone is obliged to protect themselves, including children.
In the capital, there is a spike in cases of corona in children, until there is a warning that they are not allowed to play outside the house. Head of Disease Prevention and Control Division of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, Dwi Oktavia, stated that there were 655 of the 5,582 cases in children aged 6-18 years. Meanwhile, there are 244 cases of under-five patients.
This figure is certainly worrying because children are at high risk of contracting the corona virus. If they are infected with the Covid-19 virus, it is also dangerous because when they are treated in the hospital, their mother or other family members cannot wait for them because of the high risk. Even when self-isolating at home, you must follow strict health protocols and wear masks even if you are only in residence.
Doctor Arun Shah stated that the 2021 pandemic is different from 2020. Because this year, pediatric patients are more susceptible to corona. Because the virus has a higher inherent ability, since it has multiple mutations, it is easier to attack the little ones.
Children are more prone to corona because they do more activities outside than their parents, especially when schooling is done online. It could be that they are bored at home and play bicycles or roller skates, and lack the discipline to wear masks. With high activity, of course, the body sweats, so it is stuffy when wearing a mask.
Moreover, children have not been injected because there has not been a vaccine created for humans under 18 years old, so they have not received immunity from the corona attack. Hopefully experts create vaccines for any age, so that everyone can be free from the threat of the covid-19 virus.
As parents, we are obliged to prevent our children from being infected with the Covid-19 virus. The trick is to teach them to comply with health protocols and wear masks in a disciplined manner. If it’s not their parents who guide them, who else?
The way to teach is by directing an example, so parents also have to be diligent in washing their hands or using hand sanitizers, keeping their distance, and strictly implementing health protocols. The reason is that there is no vaccine protection yet, so the only way is to avoid the risk of transmission with strict procedures.
Don’t leave the house carelessly and if you want to buy snacks, just order via online motorcycle taxis. Provide lots of snacks and groceries in the kitchen, so you don’t leave the house a little bit to shop. They must also be given an understanding to just play at home, don’t run around the field as usual, because the pandemic is still crazy.
In addition, children are also obliged to eat nutritious food, 4 healthy 5 perfect. If they are lazy to eat vegetables and fruit, they can make juice to make it easier to consume. Also give multivitamins and cow’s milk so that the immunity is higher.
It is better to prevent children from contracting the corona than to treat them, because the covid-19 virus has mutated to become more virulent. Children are ‘locked up’ in the house for their own good, because in reality the situation out there is still vulnerable.
)* The author is a citizen living in Bogor
