Tips That Can Be Done To Prevent Disease Infected During Floods

Illustration of floods. (Pexels/Pok Rie).

JAKARTA - The flash floods that hit several areas in Sumatra recently sparked deep sorrow for the people of Indonesia. Maintaining health during floods is important, in order to avoid various diseases.

Drains of dirty water during floods contain many germs and bacteria, which can cause various diseases such as skin disease, typhoid fever, diarrhea, to leptospirosis.

Quoted from the website of the Indonesian Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, there are several tips that can be done to prevent disease during the flood as follows.

- Wash your feet and hands that are hit by flood puddles using clean water and soap, so that attached germs that can cause itching to be eradicated.

- Strive so that the body or skin is not exposed to flooding for a long time, especially in the part of the skin that has wounds because it can cause infection in the skin and body.

- For people affected by the flood, try to be able to use equipment such as shoes with hard soles and gloves.

- Not letting children take advantage of flood disasters into play areas, because dirty puddles are not good for the health of children and adults.

- If you feel itching, then use an antiseptic drug.

Quoting from WHO Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), there are several other tips to prevent disease during floods. One of them is drinking water which is really safe.

It is recommended to use sealed bottled water. If you use well water or shelter, boil it until it boils, then store clean water in a container tightly closed, and don't drink raw water even though it looks clear.

In addition, it is advisable to immediately check yourself if unusual symptoms appear. Such as fever, headache, vomiting, red eyes, or diarrhea after exposure to flooding.

These complaints can be related to leptospirosis, hepatitis A, to cerna channel infections. The sooner it is handled, the better the chance of recovery.