Preventing COVID-19, UI Epidemiologist Asks Parents To Do These Important Things For Children

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - An epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, asked parents not to take their children with them when shopping, going to the market, malls, or places that are prone to crowds.

This step is necessary and mandatory to ensure the child is free or prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

"The parents must take care when the children gather together. If the parents are infected, the child is evacuated to an uninfected family," Yunis told Antara, Monday, June 21.

Currently, the number of children infected with COVID-19 is increasing. This needs special attention because children are more susceptible to being infected with COVID-19 than adults.

Yunis said that children's immunity is lower than adults, so the potential for children to be infected with COVID-19 is higher than adults.

Based on data from the Ministry of Health on June 8, 2021, there were 229,079 Indonesian children who were infected and 620 people died.

If based on age, 0-5 years with 52,482 cases and 292 deaths. Then, 6-18 years with 176,597 cases and 328 deaths.

In addition, Yunis said parents have an important role to play in protecting their children from being allowed to congregate because in a crowd, the potential for COVID-19 transmission is higher.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yunis said that taking children shopping or playing in public places or tending to crowd would be dangerous.

Pleasing children does not have to be done by taking them shopping or going to the mall, but can be done with other activities such as inviting children to play in the field but not in crowding conditions or playing indoors.

"Invite to play in a place where there are not many crowds," said Yunis.

He appealed to creative parents to invite their children to do safe activities in the midst of this pandemic for the benefit of the children.