Health Office: Semarang Air Quality Is Not Healthy For Sensitive Groups

SEMARANG - The Semarang City Health Office stated that the average air quality in Atlas City is in the yellow to orange category or unhealthy so people must be careful about their activities outside, especially sensitive groups.

"sensitive groups; small children, parents, people who have a history of asthma, lung disease are advised to travel outside wearing masks," said Head of the Semarang City Health Office, dr. Abdul Hakam, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 28.

Referring to iqir.com page data, the quality of the orange air levels was seen on Friday (25/8) with a value of 142 AQI (air quality index), Saturday (26/8) with 120 AQI, then Sunday (27/8) starting yellow with 100 AQI, and Monday 88 AQI.

There is still an orange air pollution forecast for this week, namely Tuesday (29/8) 143 AQI, Wednesday (30/8) 128 AQI, Thursday (31/8) 135 AQI, Friday (1/9) 121 AQI, Saturday (2/9) 119 AQI, and Sunday (3/9) with 102 AQI.

"Under 50 AQI that's what you want. Usually in theMijen, Gunungpati areas where the plants are quite large so that the oxygen produced is okay. For 50-100 AQI is moderate, above 100 AQI is sensitive to those who have vulnerabilities," he said.

Kadinkes reminded that air pollution can have an impact on health, such as coughing, flu, dizziness, and long-term infections with upper respiratory tracts (ARI) and bronopsneumonia (BRPN).

"In Semarang City, the number of cases of BRPN, lung infection is quite high. In July 2023, the highest number of cases hospitalized was BRPN. The highest case was at the puskesmas, clinic, that was ISPA," he said.

Data from the Semarang City Health Office, the number of pneumonia cases in July 2023 was recorded at 123 male and 136 female patients, while for ISPA there were 9,197 male and 11,970 female.

"Pneumonia is a lung infection. If the ISPA continues down, the lung tract, it's pneumonia, ISPB (low respiratory tract infection). The ISBP is in the lungs," he said.

The air quality condition is also coupled with the dry season which makes the air temperature very hot due to the El Nino phenomenon so that its impact on health is increasingly felt.

"Hot atmospheres like this, particles from the air, due to low humidity, will fly in the air longer. Will stick bacteria or viruses. For example, sticking to the airway can be risky for ISPA.

Therefore, Hakam appealed to sensitive groups to keep wearing masks when doing activities outside the room, and after doing activities, they had to throw their masks away.

Not only attacking breathing, air conditions like today are prone to attacking the skin and eye, such as the Adenovirus, Simplex Herpes, and Zoster Herpes virus.

"For example, in the type of Varicella Zooster disease, dry environmental conditions will cause the skin to dry too. Patients with Varicella will feel more itchy skin, scratch the skin. This facilitates the spread of the virus," he said.