Covid-19 in Indonesia: how to explain the increase in infant mortality due to the Delta variant
Children play in the middle of a street in Jakarta closed due to restrictions due to the spread of the Delta variant of Covid-19, June 21, 2021. AP - Dita Alangkara
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4 min
Indonesia is now the epicenter of the Delta variant, and it is wreaking havoc including among the youngest, until then rather preserved against the original strain.
According to the Indonesian Pediatric Society, 45% of children who died from Covid-19 died after June 21.
Half were under 5 years old.
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With our regional correspondent in South-East Asia,
Gabrielle Maréchaux
It is a reality that many Indonesians are still unaware of: the strong contagiousness of the Delta variant does not spare anyone, not even the youngest.
And for epidemiologist Dicky Budiman, this ignorance is as dangerous as the virus: "
Many parents think that babies do not catch Covid-19, he
notes,
and that puts children, babies in vulnerable situations, because parents take them everywhere, hug them without thinking badly, and finally because the adults around babies are rarely fully immunized.
"
This observation was confirmed no later than this week on the occasion of Eid, with for example this video from the MNCTV channel showing a crowd of children and adults praying in Jakarta.
Despite Covid hike in Jakarta @sonorabalifm #ppkmJakarta https://t.co/QGVxjCofBy
- Komariah Juminah (@MndJaya) July 20, 2021
If the contagiousness of the Delta variant therefore remains the first threat to the youngest, quickly doctors and epidemiologists agree to analyze various aggravating factors and behaviors, explaining this sudden infant mortality.
At the head of the Indonesian pediatric society, Aman Pulungan tries to raise an alarm by recalling that a good number of small Indonesians are also vulnerable because of various health problems: “
Many children have comorbidities in Indonesia, it can be malnutrition, tuberculosis, kidney disease, he
lists.
Before the pandemic, they were not condemned by this, they could be treated.
But today many parents do not realize that their children have co-morbidities that only make matters worse.
"
►
To read also: Covid-19: Indonesia, new epicenter of the Delta variant
Significant number of unreported deaths
Another source of concern for Dr Pulungan: if the pediatric society he heads scrupulously tries to record the mortality figures every week, he knows that a significant number of deaths remain under their radar.
Because more and more people are dying at home, without ever having been able to go to the hospital.
A sad reality that particularly affects children and that he would like to see changed.
“
All of our hospitals are already fully occupied.
And occupied by adults, he
recalls.
So when the kids are sick, where do they go?
This is why I insist on saying that 10% of the beds should be reserved for children.
However, this need remains a real challenge: Indonesia has 2.7 intensive care beds per 100,000 inhabitants.
Vaccinate children from 2 to 5 years old
To prevent rather than cure serious cases among the youngest, in this country where
one in four citizens is under the age of fourteen
, Dr.Pulugan also recommends protecting those under twelve who do not have access to vaccination in their own right. by wearing masks from two years old, and by not taking babies out of homes.
Other countries seem to be taking another path.
India, for example, is doing
clinical trials
to vaccinate children aged 2 to 5 years.
►
To read also: Covid-19: the epidemic outbreak pushes Indonesia to expand restrictions to the whole country
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