Fans And Night Baths Don't Cause Pneumonia

The Ministry of Health has set a conjugacy pneumoccus (PCV) vaccine into a routine immunization program to protect and prevent children's deaths from pneumonia, namely lung inflammation caused by infection. (ANTARA PHOTO/Jojon/wpa)

JAKARTA - A subspecies pediatrician who graduated from the University of Indonesia (UI) said the use of fans and the habit of bathing at night cannot cause a person to develop pneumonia or commonly known as pneumonia.

"Wind fans are not the direct cause of pneumonia, but, it could be a medium to expand the transmission of transmission," said dr. Wahyuni Indawati, Sp.A (K) in a media meeting in Jakarta, Sunday.

Pneumonia is an acute inflammation of the lung parenkim caused by pathogenic microorganisms in the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Citing data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2016, he said that the Streptococcus Pneumoniae bacteria are the most common causes in cases of bacterial pneumonia in children. The percentage reaches 50 percent, followed by type B influenza of 20 percent and other causes such as fun (fur) or viruses of 30 percent.

Regarding the use of fans, Wahyuni explained that transmission can occur only when a fan is placed in a closed room and was visited by people who brought bacteria.

The bacteria brought can spread indoors through droplets or saliva splashes that come out of the mouth either by sneezing, coughing or while talking. If the splash hits the fan, the bacteria will stick to the surface of the object for a long time.

Meanwhile, related to the evening bath, Wahyuni said the habit was not directly related as a cause of pneumonia.

Taking a night bath will only change a person's body temperature, especially if you take a shower using cold water. If the child is not healthy, the immune system will decrease so that it increases the potential for disease.

"There is also no research related to (the night bath)," said Wahyuni.

Pneumonia is an infectious disease that causes the highest death cases in children around the world. In UNICEF data in 2019, it was stated that nearly 2,200 children under the age of five died from pneumonia every day around the world.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the Ministry of Health recorded pneumonia as the cause of 14.5 percent infant mortality and five percent child mortality.