We appreciate all the steps that have been taken by the government and hope that the community will participate. Hopefully, the acute hepatitis will soon be gone.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Reports of the deaths of three children at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Central Jakarta, of suspected acute hepatitis, are truly worrisome. We need to be careful, but we must not panic.
We extend our deep condolences to the bereaved parents. We understand that it is not easy to deal with this situation. Just as we take a breath of relief from the scourge of COVID-19, we now face acute hepatitis, no less frightening. Moreover, this disease attacks children aged 1 month to 16 years old. Mitigation efforts must be implemented immediately so that there are no more victims.
The World Health Organization (WHO) started receiving reports of cases a month ago, on 5 April 2022. There were 10 cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause in children, which took place from January to March 2022 in Central Scotland, the United Kingdom.
Worryingly, the number of cases and countries that submit reports continues to rise. Until this week, on Tuesday (3/5/2022), 200 cases were recorded from 16 countries, including Indonesia. The reports generally occur in developed countries, so there is a possibility that cases have actually occurred in many more countries, but have not been detected because of early detection problems.
The cases above are called hepatitis, because they show symptoms of inflammation of the liver in the form of yellowing of the skin and membranes of the eyes, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In the majority of cases there was no fever and no association with hepatitis A, B, C, D or E viruses. The most common discovery was a pathogen called adenovirus 41F.
After treatment, patients generally recover. However, some children required liver transplants, and some died. Interestingly, there was co-infection of the adenovirus with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. However, the suspicion of vaccination as the trigger of infection should be discarded, because most cases have occurred in children under five years old who have not been vaccinated.
How do we prepare for this situation?
The Health Ministry stressed the importance of preventive measures. Maintain cleanliness by washing hands with soap and running water, eating clean and cooked food, not sharing eating utensils with others, avoiding contact with sick people and maintaining health protocols.
On the other hand, the government really needs to be proactive so that cases of acute hepatitis do not drag on. We have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that ignoring the early signs can end in regret. However, an attitude of excessive fear will not help either.
We appreciate all the steps that have been taken by the government and hope that the community will participate.
Vigilance and preparedness are the keys. Information that is short, concise and easy to understand, needs to be conveyed massively through various media platforms. Parents should immediately go to the nearest health facility if they observe the aforementioned symptoms. Additionally, surveillance as part of the mitigation framework needs to be strengthened so that the treatment of patients is appropriate.
We appreciate all the steps that have been taken by the government and hope that the community will participate. Hopefully, the acute hepatitis will soon be gone.