They need no special treatment or take any special drugs. Especially for his wife, the drugs and vitamins she takes must be safe to be consumed by pregnant women.
By
DEONISIA ARLINTA, TATANG MULYANA SINAGA
·4 minutes read
Kompas/Priyombodo (PRI)
Children without wearing masks play at the Buyan park at Bendungan Hilir, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Monday (24/8/2020).
Last week, Emmanuel Sahelangi, 32, tested positive for Covid-19. He had mild symptoms, so it was enough for him to self-isolate at home. However, he is not the only one infected now. His wife and 2-month-old child have also confirmed for Covid-19 according to the results of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test.
Emmanuel was not actually worried because their symptoms were also mild. “But I worry more about my child. I fear that it may be the onset of pneumonia or a severe [respiratory disease]. In the initial infection, my baby developed a fever,” said the resident of South Tangerang on Saturday (12/2/2022).ALso
They need no special treatment or take any special drugs. Especially for his wife, the drugs and vitamins she takes must be safe to be consumed by pregnant women. Their doctor only advised that she give ample breast milk to their child.
Meanwhile, in Rancaekek, Bandung regency, Azka Pradhani, 30, was feverish on Tuesday evening (8/2). The next morning, she was shivering. Her body temperature was 38 degrees Celsius.
They tested positive for Covid-19. Their PCR tests also produced the same results.
Azka was also coughing, felt dizzy and her body was stiff and sore. Suspicious that these were symptoms of Covid-19, she and her 3-year-old child took antigen tests. They tested positive for Covid-19. Their PCR tests also produced the same results.
Azka lives with three family members: her father, 61, mother, 59, and a younger sibling, 21. She and her child are self-isolating to avoid infecting the other members of her family.
Yet, when they had antigen tests on Friday morning (11/2), it turned out that Azka’s father, mother and sibling had also been infected with Covid-19.
Azka said her father, who had received a booster dose, showed no symptoms, while her mother, who was fully vaccinated, had developed a mild cough.
Kompas/Priyombodo (PRI)
Children using masks inappropriately are playing in the Buyan park at Bendungan Hilir, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Monday (24/8/2020).
General chairwoman Prof. Siti Setiati of the Indonesian Medical Gerontology Society (Pergemi) said senior citizens, especially those with comorbidities, and children were highly vulnerable to Covid-19.
“The two groups are like two poles. The immunity of the elderly is beginning to decline, while children’s immunity is not properly developed yet,” she said.
Siti called on younger family members to take Covid-19 tests more proactively, especially if symptoms emerge or they have been highly mobile. “Young people are mostly asymptomatic. This causes much difficulty. They don’t feel anything, so they freely take off their masks at home. In fact, it is a risk if they interact with elderly people,” she added.
Children’s treatment
Pediatrics lecturer Nastiti Kaswandani at the University of Indonesia medical school said that mothers who tested positive for Covid-19 could still breastfeed their babies. If the condition of both the mother and the baby was good, direct breastfeeding could be done. But if the condition of the mother becomes unstable or worsens, they should use a breast pump to feed their baby.
For treating children infected with Covid-19, drugs should be given according to a doctor’s advice.
The dose should match their age and daily dietary requirement.
If a child had a fever, paracetamol can be given at a dosage of 10-15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight every 4-6 hours. As for multivitamins, children can be given vitamin C, vitamin D3 and zinc. The dose should match their age and daily dietary requirement. The duration they are given should also be given due attention. Other drugs can be given as advised by a doctor. Regardless, parents should continue to feed them balanced meals.
Kompas/Priyombodo (PRI)
The elderly who have received the Covid-19 injection at the Health Training Center in Jakarta, Wednesday (24/3/2021).
General dhairman Piprim Basarah Yanuarso of the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) added that physical activity, such as light exercise, was also important to do during self-isolation.
Children who have tested positive for Covid-19 should also continue to be monitored even after they have been declared fully recovered. This is to prevent the potential of developing long Covid.
